


The Start of it All and How it Must End.

by Vhigh5



Category: Borderlands
Genre: Abuse, Aftermath of Torture, Alternate Origin Story, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Background - Freeform, Character Death, Controlling, Depression, Detail, During Pre sequel, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fixing and adding as I go, Guilt, Gun Violence, How Do I Tag, Implied/Referenced Torture, Insecure Rhys, Jack Feels, Jack being Jack, M/M, Major Character Injury, Mature now might become Explicit, Mind Control, Minor Character Death, Multi, My First Smut, Past Violence, Psychological Torture, Series Spoilers, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Spoilers, Strangers, Strangulation, Tales of the Borderlands - Freeform, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Threats of Violence, Torture, Update as I go, Violence, What Have I Done
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-30
Updated: 2017-01-12
Packaged: 2018-08-18 12:33:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 29
Words: 101,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8162221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vhigh5/pseuds/Vhigh5
Summary: No one knew how much would change once Handsome Jack took power. It changed Rhys’ world for the better but little did he realize how much it would consume him. Nothing ever stopped changing and eventually Rhys would hate himself for ever giving Jack a chance. This story takes place during the events of Borderlands Pre-Sequel, B2 and Tales.THIS STORY IS MY OWN take on the background story, leading to Jacks power, to Rhys and Jack, to Jack's death, then Tales and what happens at the end. MOST of the actual story is there from within Tales/Borderlands 2 but with my own add ons. What I hope to tell is how it must end.





	1. Handsome Jack

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there! 
> 
> If you are reading this, thank you. Just wanted to give a little heads up that this is in fact mixed with the actual stories of the series so if you have NOT played any of the Borderlands games or Tales stories, be aware that SPOILERS are ahead! 
> 
> Other than that, please enjoy the story. I apologize for the lack of written skill for I am incredibly rusty in writing! 
> 
> This was a story I've had for a long time and just wanted to get as much out at one time as possible.
> 
> HOPEFULLY you enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introduction to our story. Slow and steady character development and where we stand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story starts off incredibly slow and starts picking up pace as we move along. I apologize if there's too much detail! For all I know, it may not be enough.

Buzzing. Vibration. And loud knocking echoed throughout the apartment. Completely ignoring his alarm, Rhys’ snored over all of it as he continued to doze on. Finally, Vaughn gave up and opened Rhys’ door. He sighed at the sight of drooling, sleeping Rhys and poked Rhys multiple times.

 

“Bro, time to wake up!”

 

Rhys hummed at the words but still continued to drool sleepily.

 

“Seriously man, you’re gonna’ be late for work. Wake up and eat something. I gotta’ head out soon.”

 

“Hmmmffftt.”

 

Rhys attempted words but nothing formed into a proper sentence.

 

Vaughn reached over and pulled Rhys' head right off of his pillow, throwing it back in his direction and scaring Rhys awake.

 

“You alive bro?”

 

“Now I am.”

 

“Great. Some toast and coffee are waiting. See yeah later bro.”

 

“Hmmm”

 

Rhys continued to groan as he proceeded to get washed and dressed. By the time he finished grooming himself, he barely had time to bite into the toast or grab coffee. With toast hanging on his mouth, Rhys ran out the door, reached the elevator and entered into his work area. He halted for a second to fix his tie before continuing forward to his boss’s desk. Immediately, Henderson looked up, smirked, while finishing his phone call.

 

“I don’t care if John was in charge of it. Just remember, we officially re-open as of next week. I want this shit sorted before Tassiter hears word. Okay. Just update me later, I have other business.”

 

He hung up the phone and coughed gently before pointing towards the chair in front of his desk.

 

Rhys nodded and took his seat, “Morning sir.”

 

“Just the man I wanted to see. Really wish this stuff was done with, but you know Tassiter.”

 

“Still waiting on Jack?”

 

Rhys would be lying if he said he didn’t read up on Jack. And by read up, Rhys had been following any and all rumours surrounding anything to do with Jack, or John Lawrence. Once the best code monkey around, building and re-building Helios to hunting down vaults and working with others to stop bandits. Hell, even standing up to Tassiter and breaking every rule just to try and reach his goals. Rhys wished he had a slice of the guts that Jack did.

 

“Got that, Rhys?”

 

Rhys hadn’t been paying attention and simply looked out to Henderson blankly.

 

“Sorry, sir?”

 

Clearly, Henderson caught him, sighing,

 

“Just- follow up with your department, fix what needs to be fixed and then head back here. I still need help with the construction plans, other complaints, maybe we can FINALLY sort some files!”

 

Rhys stood, “Yes sir.”

 

“And please stop with the sir, Rhys. How many times do I have to remind you?”

 

“Sorry si- Mr.Henderson.”

 

“Anyways, I have a phone meeting with Blake to discuss further plans for Helios.”

 

Before Rhys had a chance to reply, Henderson was already on the phone again. Rhys stood, fixed his tie and exited, heading straight for the R&D department. His ECHO-eye bounced around as he scanned the scenes around him. It was a force of habit that helped him pass the time as his anxiety tried to get the best of him.

 

_It’ll be a quick and easy day. It'll be done before you know it._

Rhys told himself that every day and never proved to be right. As he stepped into the new mess of R&D, he took a big breath and started helping out where he could.

 

 

Everything had turned into a giant wreck when the Dahl Corporation tried to take over. Luckily, Jack and a bunch of Vault hunters happened to be there at the right time and saved Helios, wrecked it some more after some weird black hole formed and then re-saved it again. Now, teams upon teams were working together to fix Helios and get the space station completed while Jack and the Vault Hunters were nowhere to be found. Last they heard, they were headed for a vault on Elpis. But nothing else had been updated. Rhys had hoped they would return with SOMETHING where as the last group of vault hunters ended up coming up empty handed and a lot of blood surrounding the last vault. He hoped this one would end a bit differently.

 

As the day wound down and the department was able to work in a functional work space, Rhys made his way back to Henderson’s office where he bumped into Blake, Tassiter’s assistant. A couple files fell to the ground. Rhys tried to help pick them up but Blake shoved him off.

 

Rhys panicked, “I’m so sorry!”

 

“It’s fine! I shouldn’t even be here.”

 

Blake picked up an odd folder with the bold “CONFIDENTIAL” on it and immediately pushed past Rhys. As Rhys tried to apologize again, he heard Henderson calling him.

 

“Rhys, get your ass in here!”

 

Rhys closed his mouth from holding it open to say sorry, swallowed the words and headed to Henderson.

 

“What do you need?”

 

“A big fat raise. But neither of us will be getting that by standing around. Listen, any chance you can help me with some filing? Don’t answer. I know you will. Anyways, I gotta’ head out. Tassiter wanted an update on some…uh- never mind. Just, sort through this shit and head out. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

Henderson picked up his briefcase, chugged back the last of his coffee and patted Rhys on the back. Rhys followed Henderson with his eyes as he entered the elevator and left Rhys alone in the office. He slumped slightly but began the work. Vaughn, Yvette and Rhys had worked so hard to get him where he is now. There was no point in ending that victory. Rhys put on some music and got to work by filing away what he could, even going as far as sorting some files on Henderson’s computer. Before he knew it, he was even sorting complaint emails, sending them off to the proper department, answering some questions and deleting any spam from other corporations Hyperion had no plan on working with. He ended up finishing the entire email’s worth and had nothing else to do.

 

When he checked the time, he jumped, shut everything down and headed home. It was almost midnight and he hadn’t even eaten anything. He rushed home, almost breaking the door down as he entered into a pitch-black room. Luckily, his eye was able to scan the room and he found his way to the kitchen, where Vaughn had left a note.

 

_“Wasn’t sure when you’d be home. Saved you some veggie soup.”_

Rhys smiled, quickly microwaved the soup and headed to his room. He slipped out of his work clothes and ate his soup before he fell asleep.

 

_His vision filled with blood and no matter how loud he screamed, it only continued to get worse. Laughing filled his ears as he lay there, dying. Before he knew it, something blew up in front of him and his world went black._

 

A yelp escaped Rhys as he jumped up in bed, a cold sweat surrounding his blanket wrapped body. He held his flesh hand with his mechanical one and brought his knees to his chest. Breathing came in waves as he got his heartbeat to slow down. When he scanned the room he discovered it was only 4:30am.

 

“Of course.”

 

He knew nothing he did would make him fall back asleep. Instead, Rhys took a shower, cleaned up and made some breakfast for Vaughn and himself. When Vaughn awoke, he forced a good morning through his yawns, confused of Rhys' early rise, “Got a big day?”

 

“Nah, just couldn’t sleep.”

 

Vaughn knew Rhys still had nightmares from his incident and didn’t pester him any further. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed breakfast, plopping down next to Rhys, who was watching Pandora’s finest fail videos.

 

“Any updates?”

 

Rhys sighed and sifted through his recent thoughts,

 

“Helios is becoming whole. Guess that’s good. No more infections. Robotics is back and running. Still nothing back from Elpis or Jack. Tassiter made deals with Torgue. Blake and Henderson are being super weird and-“

 

“Oh, your boyfriend hasn’t returned yet?”

 

“He’s not my boyfriend-“

 

“Okay, your obsession.”

 

Rhys punched Vaughn lightly, which pushed a laugh out of him. He finished the rest of his breakfast in silence before cleaning up and continuing their conversation.

 

“How about the big bad accountant?”

 

“Eh, you know. Money constantly flying in all directions. Thankfully, less is geared at Helios. Now we can do some real damage!”

 

Rhys mocked Vaughn, “Oh no, an accountant. What shall I do?”

 

“Ha-ha. Very funny.”

 

Rhys checked the time with his ECHO-eye and noticed it was just past 6:30am. Still too early to head into work, but Rhys decided to do it anyways.

 

“I’m gonna head in to try and get home early.”

 

“Doubt it.”

 

Vaughn continued to watch through fail videos as Rhys gathered a few items, fixed his tie and brushed his mechanical hand through his hair. Once he pulled two finger guns at himself in the mirror, he turned towards the door and headed to Henderson’s office. He made a pit stop to pick up two coffees but when he entered the office, he was the only one there. Quickly, he placed both coffees on his own desk and began sifting through emails.

 

“Junk, junk, resignation. Security breach? What the…”

 

Rhys checked it out and realized the security breach was flickering within Helios. Before he could properly gather more information, it disappeared and Henderson was swaggering into the office.

 

“Hello Rhys. You’re here early.”

 

“I hope that’s not a problem, sir-Mr. Henderson.”

 

“Not at all.”

 

Rhys stood and quickly handed Henderson the other coffee, who accepted it with a surprised smirk. He settled into his desk and immediately sighed.

 

“Rhys?”

 

His tone wasn’t happy and Rhys immediately tried to figure out what he did wrong.

 

“Yes sir?”

 

“Next time you do extra email work, notify me first. Sometimes my emails are confidential.”

 

“Yes sir. Sorry sir. I just thought-I assumed I could help- there wasn’t anything to worry- I didn’t mean-“

 

Henderson stopped his rambling with a slight lift of his hand.

 

“It’s fine Rhys. Calm down. Just ask next time, okay?”

 

“Yes sir-Mr. Henderson.”

 

“Good. Now, I see you got all that shit dealt with from yesterday. Would be nice if John were around to actually fix the station…”

 

Before he could continue, a ring came from his ECHO. Rhys excused himself and went back to his desk where he checked his ECHO for any messages. To his surprise, there was another ‘Security breach’ message. He opened it and was able to catch it this time. Not only was the breach within Helios, it was within Tassiter’s office.

 

“You’re kidding.”

 

Rhys stood as a blaring, feedback filled noise came from every speaker within the office, and he was pretty sure it was being spread throughout the entire space station.

 

“Attention all you knuckleheads. It’s me, Handsome Jack. Just wanted to make all you numb nuts aware that I have returned from Elpis with great news.”

 

There was a distinct sound of struggle coming from the background. Jack was _almost_ muffling the noise until there was a clear sound of something breaking-SOMEONE breaking.

 

“Our-YOUR old boss and former CEO of Hyperion, Tassiter, is dead. Meet your new, handsome, president and ruler. Yeah, it’s me. HA. Sounds great, I know. Anyways, I’ve got some more people working on the construction of Helios, could get done if you lazy assholes pulled up your big boy pants and helped with production that would be great!”

 

There was a slight pause as Jack was talking to someone else who just entered the room.

 

“These are it?”

 

Jack opened something and began chewing food before dryly swallowing.

 

“Brent? Brad? Brit? Whatever your name is, find me better pretzels or I swear I’ll make you choke and die on them, got that pumpkin? Where was I? Oh yeah, I’m your new leader, blah blah blah. Disobey and you die. OH! Put out a message for other vault hunters. We’ll hire them just so we can kill them, it’ll be perfect! HA. Later!”

 

Rhys was frozen in spot, mouth hanging open. He didn’t move until he heard a cup fall over, spilling coffee. At first, he thought he dropped his own, only realizing that Henderson had his hand slightly hovering over his desk where his now empty coffee cup rolled. Henderson was the first to break the silence.

 

“Did that just happen? Am I losing my mind?”

 

“John- Jack. He’s-“

 

“Out of his Goddamn mind.”

 

“Sir?”

 

“Rhys, what did I say about-“

 

His ECHO started ringing. Henderson answered with a yell.

 

“WHAT? -Oh. Hi sir. Yes. I’ll be there in a second.”

 

Henderson hung up but continued to stand there, wide eyed.

 

“It appears Jack has other plans. Rhys, if you wouldn’t mind and finish up for me. Then pack in. Call it a day. “

 

Sweat began to appear on Henderson’s forehead as he picked up his items and made his way to the door.

 

“Si- Mr. Henderson?”

 

Henderson froze for only a second to look back at Rhys.

 

“Vice President now, Rhys. It appears I’m moving up. You will too, but first, get done what I asked you to. I’ll update you when I can.”

 

With that, Henderson left Rhys alone in the office, completely lost in what just happened. All Rhys knew was that Jack or as he called himself, ‘Handsome Jack’, was back. Clearly with a new plan and for once, not coming up empty handed. Or so Rhys knew. As Rhys readjusted his tie, he finished work before the clock hit 1pm and headed straight to the cafeteria where he needed to find his friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking a peek at my story. 
> 
> I swear I get better/ it gets better :P


	2. Unexpected Ride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhys reports to his friends and just when he expects his day to be over, an unexpected guest crosses his path.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More development for the story.
> 
> Trust me, it picks up. I swear!

“You’re kidding.”

 

Vaughn held his sandwich inches from his stunned face. Rhys just told him everything that had happened between Henderson and himself. Yvette was picking at Vaughn’s untouched salad as she giggled.

 

“I mean, it’s not surprising, is it? Henderson has been working here just as long as Jack. Who else would he have as a VP? Maybe Blake?”

 

Vaughn laughed, “Yeah, sure. Blake. That guy stays close to the spotlight but doesn’t touch it. There’s no way he’d accept the VP position.”

 

Rhys shrugged, slightly feeling jealous of Henderson getting to work with someone he idolized. Vaughn noticed the disappointment and gave Rhys a villainous smile.

 

“I’m sure you’ll see him around Rhys. Besides, Jack owns the whole station now, right? He can come and go wherever, whenever he wants.”

 

Rhys snorted because his mind immediately went into the gutter and didn’t fully hear what Vaughn said. Yvette stopped eating Vaughn’s food and moved onto Rhys’ untouched fries. Rhys pushed his entire plate of food to her, having lost his appetite.

 

Rhys crossed his arms, “Do you think Henderson will put in a good word for me?”

 

Yvette laughed through her full mouth, “Considering how much you kiss his ass, I’d say there’s a possibility your name might come up.”

 

For once, Rhys felt like things might actually work in his favor. Whenever he got the chance, he would try and figure out what else he could do for Henderson, possibly grab Henderson’s old job or maybe even sneaking his own way into Jack’s lap…metaphorically of course. Rhys' thoughts caused him to blush but he shook the thoughts from his head as he saw a familiar figure walk towards their table. Vaughn immediately made a mimicking tone.

 

“Assquez alert.”

 

Rhys pretended to gag, as he smelt the familiar cheap cologne coming off of Vasquez.

 

“Rhys. Just the man I wanted to see.”

 

Rhys sighed and looked up at the bigger man.

 

“What do you want?”

 

He smirked, clearly knowing something Rhys didn’t.

 

“Just wanted to see if you knew about the new position that just opened. Henderson is looking for a new assistant, which pays more than his old job and ours combined. Considering how much you _love_ Henderson, I’m surprised you didn’t hear about it.”

 

Rhys’ face fell at the news, but he wasn’t surprised Vasquez had snuck his way into finding the information, especially after the big change of CEO just that morning. Rhys did his best to sound confident, but his voice kept cracking.

 

“Of course I heard. I-I was just giving Henderson time to…adjust before asking for the position.”

 

“Huh. Okay. Sure. I’ll see yeah around Rhys.”

 

Vazquez walked off, laughing to himself. With his back turned to Rhys, Vaughn and Rhys flipped him off and made faces at his back. Once he was out of sight, Yvette scuffed.

 

“Asshole.”

 

Rhys nodded, “You can say that again.”

 

As the others headed back to work, Rhys knew all he could do was head home. Part of him wanted to check Henderson’s office but knew he’d be out of luck. Instead, he headed for the elevator where he encountered an unexpected guest.

 

“Bob, Billy, Bo. WHATEVER. I asked for AMAZING pretzels. Not eh, not decent. AMAZING!”

 

As the elevator doors fully opened a man staggered out and landed at Rhys’ feet. He was out of breath as he pushed by Rhys and ran down the hall. Rhys looked up at the powerful, strong, handsome man before him.

 

“Like what you see, cupcake?”

 

Rhys jaw hung low as his lips became incredibly dry within the short time.

 

“Uh, sir, um.”

 

“Spit it out, legs, I ain’t got all day.”

 

His mind was racing as he took in all of Jack. His clothes were lightly peppered with blood and he had a new face. A new mask? Rhys wasn’t sure exactly why he had it but it suited the man. Even his clothes were new. Jack stared at him, clearly getting impatient. Rhys spit out the first words he thought of,

 

“Uh-congratulations.”

 

Jack laughed in Rhys face, making Rhys shoulders drop and his entire face grow hot with embarrassment.

 

“Congrats? Holy shit, kiddo, that’s good. First and hopefully the last person to have the balls to say that to my face. HAA. OH MAN that was good. What’s your name, pumpkin?”

 

Jack was checking him out and smirking while watching Rhys try to find his words. Rhys felt incredibly exposed and tried to cross his arms.

 

“R-R-R-Rhys sir.”

 

Rhys was sure his entire body was red at this point.

 

“Reese?”

 

“Rhys-”

 

“Okay, Reese? Weird name. Where yeah headed?”

 

“Uh-just home sir.”

 

“Names Jack. Stop it with the sir.”

 

“Just home, Jack sir.”

 

Rhys immediately bit his lip at the slip up but it only made Jack chuckle.

 

“I’m surprised.”

 

“There wasn’t much work si-Jack.”

 

“And whys that? I’ve got plenty if you want-”

 

“YESPLEASE!”

 

Rhys blurted his response almost too eagerly but immediately responded again, this time slower and softer.

 

“Yes. Please. Whatever you need, Jack.”

 

Jack smirked and checked Rhys over again.

 

“Cute. Here, let’s head up to my office. Then we can discuss further, hmkay pumpkin?”

 

Rhys could no longer speak. He nodded his head and entered the elevator with Jack, staying perfectly still. Jack stared at him the entire elevator ride up. This was officially Rhys’ longest day of work. Make that, the weirdest, most agonizing and longest day of work.

 

 

 

The elevator doors opened to loud computer humming and many Claptraps working in tiny cubical offices. By many, Rhys realized only a handful of Claptraps remained while the others lay motionless with multiple bullet holes. Jack huffed and led Rhys down the hall into his beautiful, spacious office. Rhys had never been there before but the view out of the window had him captivated. He hadn’t even noticed the other body in the room until it spoke.

 

“Rhys? What in all of Hyperion did you-“

 

“Relax, dumb dumb. I called him up here.

 

Henderson turned pale, almost scared as he looked between Rhys and Jack. Rhys lightly nodded his head towards Henderson and tried to say he was okay but Jack interrupted.

 

“Rhys here is quick. I like that. Think he can handle doing some tests for me?”

 

Hearing that sentence made Rhys skin crawl. He avoided Jack and looked at Henderson who looked too calm.

 

“I’m sure he could handle it, can’t you Rhys?”

 

Rhys was stunned and looked back to Jack, who was now sitting in his big chair, legs up on his desk.

 

If it meant getting his foot in the door, Rhys would do any job, but testing was something he avoided. “Wh-what exactly will I be testing?”

 

Jack smirked and winked at him.

 

“Oh you know, nothing too dangerous. Besides, you won’t ACTUALLY be testing anything. Just observing. I don’t have time to so I might as well get you, cupcake. Just record what you think stands out in the tests and report back to me. Got it babe?”

 

Rhys nodded and went to head out when Henderson spoke up once more.

 

“Rhys will do an excellent job, sir.”

 

Jack looked at him more intently and smiled wide.

 

“Legs? Do this job right and we’ll see what else I can get you doin’ muffin.”

 

Jack winked at him again as he shooed Rhys off. Rhys was quick to jump into the elevator and almost tripped on his own feet. As soon as the doors closed, he started breathing heavily and felt his legs go weak. He laughed to himself and realized he was okay. Everything was okay. All he had to do was observed a test for Jack, the one guy he dreamed of working for - of BEING! How bad could this one job be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, if you've gotten this far, I'm shocked. Thank you!


	3. The Experiments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One step forward, two steps back.
> 
> Rhys finds himself in a whole new position and wants to prove he's worth getting that promotion.
> 
> That is until Vasquez gets in the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOOO we continue on more story/character development. 
> 
> I love Jack so much. He's probably my favourite character in the Borderlands series. I thought writing him would be easy but it's complicated. I hear his voice say every word ahha. 
> 
> ENJOY THIS ...weird, unsatisfying chapter.

Walls rattled, dust, blood and other unknown substances surrounded the lab as a skag immediately jumped on one of the scientist and exploded, bursting open three other people around it.

 

Rhys immediately regretted taking on the job, puking up whatever food he had in his stomach. After emptying himself, he immediately took one of the clipboards and started recording his results, trying to hold back the gags that threatened to be more than just gags.

 

_Experiment 13E. Explosions still happen once animal reaches other contact. Blood. Everywhere. Killed four scientists. They appear to be trying again. Why. Please stop._

Rhys scratched out the last part, realizing he had actually written his inner pleas. He heaved once more before continuing with the experiments. Just when he thought he’d start the day early and be done, he was completely wrong. By the time the scientists reached the new slag experiments, it was almost midnight. Rhys sighed and knocked on the glass to let the others know it was time to pack in. They nodded and closed up. Even though Rhys was on the other side of the glass, he swore faint hints of blood were on his clothes.

 

Gathering what notes he could, Rhys dragged himself into the elevator and made his way back towards Handsome Jack’s office. Surprisingly, Jack was still rambling on and telling Blake and Henderson about Pandora. Rhys sank slightly before approaching the desk, pumping his chest up before speaking up.

 

“Here are the reports from today, sir.”

 

Jack didn’t acknowledge him but kept his focus on Blake.

 

“You’ll head down there and get those damn plans you understand me! You use them and you push those bandits in the right direction.”

 

Rhys noticed the lack of nickname use and realized how upset Jack was. Blake bowed his head lightly and smiled at Jack.

 

“Of course sir. I’ll be down on Pandora immediately.”

 

Blake turned on his heel and made way to a Fast Travel just outside of Jack’s office. He was gone within a blink. Rhys turned his gaze back to Jack, who now had his eyes closed, holding his head in his hands. Henderson nudged Rhys and signaled him to follow. They exited into another office just down from Jack’s.

 

“Welcome to my new office, Rhys.”

 

Lights turned on as Rhys entered. The office was nowhere near the size of Jacks but it had it’s own living room space and was definitely bigger than his apartment.

 

“Not too shabby Mr. Henderson.”

 

Henderson smirked and shrugged, “Could be warmer but I’m not complaining.”

 

As he headed towards his desk, he took the files out of Rhys’ hands and plopped them down, folding himself into his office chair. He yawned before addressing Rhys again,

 

“As you probably noticed, Jack is tough and incredibly fast at work. Even before he was a code monkey, he was always one of Hyperion’s best.”

 

Rhys perked up and smiled, “He’s actually one of the youngest to take the chair as CEO too.”

 

Henderson nodded oddly and rubbed his eyes, wiping the tired feeling that never really left.

 

“Good to know, Rhys. Good to know.”

 

An awkward silence filled the room as Rhys stood there and Henderson continued to yawn. Rhys coughed lightly and pointed his thumb towards the door, signaling to exit.

 

“I should probably head out.”

 

Henderson shrugged and nodded.

 

“Sure Rhys. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

Before he reached the door, Henderson called him back.

 

“Wait Rhys, one other thing.”

 

Rhys turned slightly to see Henderson fully leaning onto his desk, face in a sore smile.

 

“I know you enjoy seeing Jack and him showing off but Jack’s changed. He’s not the same as he used to be. I know that’s not saying much but-”

 

Rhys laughed and couldn’t believe his ears. Did Henderson actually care about his well-being? Even thinking that had Rhys feeling doubtful.

 

“Why do you care?”

 

Henderson sighed and shook his head, “Never mind. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

 

And with that, Rhys left Henderson’s office and right into his apartment. Having no appetite at all, Rhys fell onto his bed, fully clothed and fell asleep.

 

 

 

As months went on, Helios was starting to become whole and only had a couple of delays in production. Henderson wasn’t kidding when he said Jack was a fast worker. Nor was he kidding about his warning. Only a few months in, and Jack had continued to shoot, kill or hurt people left and right for small things. One guy got shot for biting his nails in front of Jack, an assistant from a different department got punched for getting Jack’s coffee wrong and someone else was strangled for bringing up something too personal. Only part of Rhys felt terrified while the other parts told him that Jack was just doing it to get shit done.

 

However, Rhys had no problem not working directly with Jack. If anything, he felt safe continuing to help him from a far distance and through Henderson. The only downside to it all was constantly seeing Vazquez. They were in a battle for the same assistant position. Henderson’s old job was not up for grabs as Henderson continued to do both the Vice job and his old job. Jack didn’t trust anyone else with Henderson’s job and planned to keep everything as he saw fit.

 

As he filed away the last of the construction plans, Rhys scanned security and realized everything was in order, except for another missing Claptrap, which he assumed Jack had shot. He stretched, yawned and noticed he was out of coffee.

 

_Great._

“Hey Henderson, I’m just gonna’ head to lunch. Want me to grab anything for you?”

 

Henderson was typing on his computer and didn’t even acknowledge Rhys. He tried again but got interrupted by Vazquez. He pushed Rhys to the side and put his chest out just a bit too much.

 

“Finished the last plans for Opportunity.”

 

Henderson nodded and quickly took the files, smiling up at Vazquez.

 

“Perfect. Jack will be pleased to hear. Any update on Blake?”

 

Vazquez sighed and leaned against Henderson’s desk.

 

“Nothing. He’s gone cold since hitting Pandora.”

 

That wasn’t what Henderson wanted to hear but he took it.

 

“Now that, Jack won’t be happy to hear. Any way you can head down to Pandora and check on his progress?”

 

Vazquez squinted at Rhys and winked, standing up straight and smiling brightly.

 

“Throw in a free ride and I’ll hop down there now.”

 

Henderson waved him off and wasn’t really paying attention.

 

“Fine, fine! Just find out where Blake is so we can move forward!”

 

Vazquez didn’t need to respond. He left the office, pushing Rhys once again, almost pushing too hard causing Rhys to regain his balance. Rhys stood in the silence and coughed.

 

“Sir, is there anything I can do?”

 

Henderson stopped typing and slowly looked up to Rhys, his cheeks now paler than they were a second ago. He rubbed his eyes and hummed to himself. Rhys immediately felt sick without knowing why.

 

“Honestly Rhys, you’ve been kind of slowing down the past couple weeks. You know, Vazquez has been doing double the work you have. It’s kind of upsetting.”

 

His heart dropped to the floor. _Of course he was._ Rhys thought. Henderson didn’t stop there.

 

“With Blake gone, I’ve been getting not only Jack constantly at my ass, but this entire company. If you think for one second Jack actually cares about the company, you’re wrong. All he cares about is that damn planet and whatever vaults are out there.”

 

That’s when the wheels began to turn in Rhys’ head.

 

“Mr. Henderson, what if you gave some of Blake’s work to me? I’d be happy to do extra, honestly. I can make up for my lack of speed?”

 

Henderson looked Rhys up and down and smirked.

 

“You know Rhys, that sounds like a plan. Here.”

 

Henderson handed Rhys a thick folder containing untouched work that Blake never had a chance to look at.

 

“Blake was supposed to finalize work on Helios but wasn’t able to arrange the last couple of deals. Do those and some of the deals down on Pandora and let’s call you back up to speed.”

 

Rhys held the folder as if he had just been handed a baby. Rhys actually disliked children. Make that, Rhys felt like he was holding a delicate, extremely valuable item. He hugged it close to his chest and smiled brightly to his boss.

 

“I swear sir, you will not regret this.”

 

Henderson laughed and continued working, “I better not. Now, off to it.”

 

Rhys almost skipped out of the office as he rushed over to his own and began making calls. He ended up working backwards and finalized deals down on Pandora, whether gun control or not. He was even able to send down a shipment of medicine to a city that was being infested with a brain disease. After that, he chugged back his coffee and began on finalizing the last of Helios’ construction. The place was almost complete, just a few more installations and the big H in the sky would be fully lite. However, everyone working wanted a new deal and this is where Rhys’ people skills came in handy. He negotiated with the main building tech and was able to arrange for a nice little bonus (thanks to Vaughn and his accounting skills). As Rhys hit enter on the final offer and plan, he awaited a response, but was not expecting what he got next.

 

_Give us the bonus on site and we have a deal._

As much as Rhys enjoyed being on site, he disliked doing deals in person, but he knew that’s what his future job would entail and he needed to kick in the new shoes eventually. Rhys replied and agreed to meet after lunch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you got through this part, you earn a pat on the back....
> 
>  
> 
> and a hug. 
> 
> And a high five :D
> 
>  
> 
> Things are about to get goooood.


	4. The Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finalizing a deal becomes a disaster and the Jackass has to come and save the day. 
> 
> Be the hero of the story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a fun chapter to write.

Rhys felt something bounce off his face as he saw Vaughn sheepishly smile.

 

“Day dreaming bro?”

 

Rhys shrugged and pushed his tray away, having lost his appetite. For someone as small as him, he would usually eat double his weight worth in food. But ever since Jack’s reign to power, he wasn’t eating much and had lost more weight than he’d like to admit.

 

“Just thinking.”

 

“Don’t think too hard. Looks like your head might pop.”

 

Vaughn wasn’t kidding around. Rhys entire body felt like it was on fire as his legs began to bounce.

 

“Just nervous man.”

 

Vaughn patted Rhys’ back and reassured him, “Come on bro, you got this. You always do.”

 

Yvette swallowed all the food left on Rhys' tray before speaking,

 

“Or you know, end up ruining the entire deal and Handsome Jack murdering you.”

 

“Thanks Yvette. Makes me feel a million times better.”

 

She giggled and bowed her head lightly, “My pleasure.”

 

Vaughn pushed Yvette and readjusted his glasses. “She’s kidding. Obviously. Right Yvette?”

 

She smiled and shrugged, “You’ll be fine, Rhys.”

 

He tried to smile but felt himself grow even hotter. If this was going to happen, might as well get it over with. Rhys stood without even saying goodbye, grabbing the briefcase of money from Vaughn and made his way to the furthest reach of the station.

 

He arrived at the construction area with five minutes to spare, holding the briefcase full of money close to his chest. He looked at his ECHO eye again and started pacing.

 

“Where are they?”

 

He started noticing none of the machines were on, let alone that any movement was happening around him. That’s when he felt something smash against his head and everything turned black.

 

 

_“Are you going to refuse the Guardians what they want boy?”_

_Rhys shook and tried to speak but nothing but a cry came out._

 

The sound of gunfire and an explosion woke Rhys up. His head was swimming and it took a second for his ECHO eye to reboot. As he got up, he knocked into something and used it to hold his balance. That’s when he heard the gunfire, but closer this time. His eyes snapped into focus and he immediately ducked into safety.

 

_Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit._

Helios guards and Loader Bots surrounded Rhys, rushing past him as they continued to fire, yelling at the imposters.

 

“PREPARE TO DIE.”

 

Rhys looked at his surroundings and realized the briefcase was no longer on him.

 

_This is how I die._

Rhys heart was pounding harder than ever before as one of the guards fell by him. He yelped and immediately began running until he crashed into someone.

 

“Watch where you’re going!”

 

Rhys got knocked to the side as he stumbled and tried to head back into the elevator of the station but got pulled to the ground and felt himself getting pulled by a-

 

“GRENADE!”

 

The guards ducked as Rhys’ eyes shot wide open, staring at the grenade slowing floating, about to explode.

 

“Not on my watch, kitten.”

 

Jack threw a robot into the air and it immediately put a shield around Rhys and himself. Within a fraction of a second of the shield surrounding Rhys, the grenade went off and shattered the shield. Rhys had no strength left and felt his body grow weak. Jack ran at him and pulled him up.

 

“Get up Rhysie. I don’t have time for this.”

 

Jack brought up his gun and continued to fire towards something behind Rhys. He heard a thump and then quiet. Rhys stood by Jack and turning around to see multiple bodies on the ground. Few were bandits. Some were the guards.

 

“Phil and Dennis didn’t make it sir.”

 

Jack sighed and smiled.

 

“They saved your sorry asses. Report back while I deal with this.”

 

The guards and bots exited the area as Rhys was left alone with Jack. Within seconds, Rhys was being pushed against the wall, held by the collar.

 

“What in hell happened Rhys? And don’t lie to me.”

 

Jack was growling, which made Rhys wince. If his heart was beating fast before, it was at a whole new speed now.

 

“I-I-I-was-deal-sorry.”

 

“WHAT DEAL?”

 

Jack was practically strangling Rhys at this point. Tears were forming in his eyes. If he were going to die, he’d at least die by telling the truth.

 

“They want-ed- a –b-b-onus to finish. Plans-weren’t-final. I-made-the de-d-deal. I’m sorry.”

 

Every word felt like needles in his throat. Jack held him like that for what felt like hours. Finally, his grip loosened and Rhys fell to the floor, gasping as tears ran down his face. Jack paced for a moment and began laughing.

 

“How much money?”

 

He didn’t even look at Jack.

 

“10 million.”

 

Jack huffed and almost choked. Jack was practically shaking in laughter and barked out his rage.

 

“Oh Rhys, if you didn’t think Hyperion owned your ass before, we certainly do now.”

 

Rhys only nodded in response. After everything he worked for, after everything his friends did for him and this is how it would crumble. Jack kneeled down to Rhys level and stared at him.

 

“Any idea who those bandits were?”

 

Rhys refused to look at Jack but he shook his head, “No.”

 

“Well Rhys, as someone who is supposed to be a part of security, I’m SHOCKED you didn’t see the security breach. Hell, you didn’t even look, did yeah pumpkin?”

 

The one job Rhys was responsible for and he didn’t even do it. His entire body felt numb at this point. Jack grabbed his jaw and forced Rhys to look at him. He examined his head and gasped when Jack touched the back of his head, revealing some blood.

 

“Huh. You got lucky Rhysie. It just so happened to show up on my radar and I had to come down here and save your sorry ass.”

 

Rhys sighed, “I’m so-sorry.”

 

“Shh. Just shut it.”

 

Rhys closed his mouth tight and brought his legs up to his chest. Jack stood and rubbed his forehead, gun still in hand.

 

“How did you even get up here, kid?”

 

Rhys shrugged and felt like he would be dead within seconds,

 

“I wanted to help. Did more of Blake’s work and somehow ended with this.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

Jack stared at Rhys, almost expecting the kid to start crying again, but he didn’t. He just sat there, staring at Jack, waiting for the inevitable. Jack smiled and began laughing. Rhys had no clue why but the laugh made his hair stand up. Jack wiped his eyes and coughed on his laugh.

 

“Sorry kiddo. Blake’s a jackass just like anyone else. Can’t trust anyone, you hear me? God kid, you know. I was _thisclose_ to just shootin’ yeah right between those pretty eyes of yours. But you just get me kid. Listen, let’s head back. Tell Henderdick what happened and we’ll see what happens from there, mmkay kitten?”

 

As if Rhys had much of a choice. Jack practically lifted Rhys off the ground and led him into the elevator, where his hand stayed firmly on his gun. Rhys looked at his arms the entire time and felt himself shaking. He already knew this was it for him, but having to tell it to Henderson made his failure worse.

 

As they approached Henderson’s office, Rhys stopped and took a breath.

 

“Jack, if you’re going to fire me just do it.”

 

Jack grinned to himself, “Hmm. Not happening. You are our property. Have been since you got that arm and eye installed.”

 

Rhys turned pale, as he didn’t want to get too into that conversation, especially with someone like Jack. Rhys walked in and heard Henderson.

 

“Ah Rhys, perfect timing. Just had- Woah. Handsome Jack sir.”

 

“Henderson. Mind getting your employees heads out of their asses before something like this happens again?”

 

Henderson was shocked. He looked at Rhys who was rubbing his flesh arm.

 

“Rhys. What happened?”

 

Rhys looked at Jack who put his hands on his hips and nodded his head.

 

“Go on, Rhysie.”

 

He took a shaking breath in and began blurting out everything to Henderson. As he reached the worst part of failing to even finalize the construction, Henderson’s jaw hung open.

 

“Rhys. My- I don’t even know what to say. Where did you even get that money from?”

 

Jack folded his arms, “Actually yeah. How’d you manage that? Loved to know who I have to kill today.”

 

Rhys immediately went wide-eyed.

_Vaughn._

 

“No sir. It was all me. All of it.”

 

Henderson huffed, “Even I know that’s bull. If you finalized that deal, the money would've went through ME.”

 

Rhys panicked and walked closer to Henderson, “I swear sir, it was just me! Please, you have to believe me.”

 

“Even if I did Rhys, this is a serious issue. I should fire you-“

 

It was Jack’s turn, “Oh but you won’t, because this kid is now indebted to this company. He may have screwed up with our pocket change but you gotta’ admit. The kids more use to us alive than dead.”

 

Henderson took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes, “I understand sir, but with Rhys breaking the rules and not even properly looking to his security protocols, he is not eligible to return to his original job.”

 

Jack bit his lip and finally holstered his gun, “Got a point there. Considering those bandits were after Blake and not you-“

 

Rhys ears perked up, “Wait what?”

 

Jack smiled and stepped closer to Rhys, ruffling his hair, “At least ONE of us did your job. When I checked the security files, I found enough dirt to point out that these guys thought you were Blake. They wanted him dead but instead found your pretty face with a briefcase full of money. Which is why I’m giving you a proposition.”

 

Rhys stared at him. Even Henderson was speechless. Jack continued,

 

“Since I won’t be getting Blake back anytime soon, you will be taking Blake’s spot for the time being. Obviously, you’ll still be getting paid the same and by getting paid I mean put right back to Hyperion for that ten million you let slip. Sound good to you, cupcake?”

 

To be honest, Rhys was happy he was even alive at this point. Rhys nodded, “And what exactly will I be doing?”

 

Henderson cut Rhys off, “Jack, are you sure this is right? Rhys could barely keep this one job together-“

 

“But he did complete everything else, didn’t he?”

 

Rhys was stunned Jack even noticed or knew that Rhys had in fact finished the other work put onto him. Henderson sighed and rubbed his eyes again, shrugging.

 

“You’re the boss Jack. If that’s what you want, I’ll get Rhys set up.”

 

Jack smiled and clapped his hands, rubbing them together.

 

“Sounds great. Listen, I got Pandora to deal with. Ciao.”

 

As Jack exited, Rhys was left with Henderson, whose face slowly grew to a purple hue.

 

“I put my whole trust in you and you smashed it. Do not think for one moment this is you getting off easy. In fact, quite the opposite.”

 

Rhys sighed and knew exactly what he was talking about. Blake did more than he was ever given credit for. He was always in the background because he was always working things through and actually doing all the work required to get anything started or finalized. In a way, Rhys was excited to be doing different work compared to the same routine work he got everyday, but he knew this was going to drain him of everything. Literally. As Jack put it, every dollar he earned was going straight back into the company.

 

Slumping into the chair in front of Henderson’s desk, Henderson handed Rhys another stack of folders.

 

“Take these. Go to Jack’s office. You’ll find Blake’s desk. Jack is your commander now. You do as he says, no questions asked and I mean that Rhys. It’ll save everyone time and your life. Lastly,”

 

He paused looking at Rhys deeply, giving him a weary smile.

 

“In a way, you are working for both of us. At the end of the day, I’m still your boss. And Jack is the higher up. But you are OUR assistant. You do everything, even if it means no break or staying in all night, you got that?”

 

Rhys nodded his head. Part of him felt a little relieved. It’s not like he wasn’t already pulling all-nighters to get work done.

 

_Maybe it won’t be that bad._

Rhys regretted thinking that. Everything was pretty bad and he knew it was only going to get worse, grittier, and it was going to be a living hell. He gathered everything he needed and began his short trek to Blake’s desk. Jack wasn’t even there when he arrived and Rhys felt himself calm down. He got himself situated into Blake’s desks and began sorting, sifting and figuring out everything he would be doing. From weapons to security check-ups and projects on Pandora. The lists of jobs were all over the place.

 

Rhys sighed, grabbing himself a full cup of black coffee as he began digging into the workload.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RHYS GONE FUCKED UPPPP.
> 
>  
> 
> For real though, the poor guy does enough. XD


	5. In and Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhys pulls an all-nighter all week and finds himself in someone elses bed. (No, not like that.)
> 
> This chapter takes a small look into what Jack does while Rhys rests.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where I took the opprotunity to change things up. This chapter has multiple point of views, as I'm sure you noticed me doing throughout other characters. It's nothing big but it's me pushing it out so you can get used to how I change the POV.
> 
>  
> 
> THINGS ARE GETTING GOOD.

_“HOW IS IT NOT WORKING?! You said it needed blood, Enzo.”_

_“It does my Lord. That’s how the other vault was opened.”_

_Rhys tried to pull himself off the ground but knew it was no use. He was one of the only people alive. He felt a hand grip his hair and hold him up high, emitting a scream out of Rhys._

_“Do we kill him?”_

_“No. The killing does not appear to please the vault. Nor do the parts. We need him alive.”_

_With that, the leader stalked towards Rhys, taking his blade and placing it just above Rhys’ right shoulder._

_“Now stay still son. This will only hurt if you move.”_

_And before Rhys could voice his protest, the blade swung back and right down into his shoulder…_

“Rhys!”

 

Rhys jumped, screaming from the jolt and almost hit Jack with his arm. Jack grabbed his arm tightly and waited for Rhys to calm down.

 

“God kitten, you okay?”

 

Rhys closed his eyes and cleared his thoughts, noticing how heavily he was breathing.

 

“Sorry. Bad dream.”

 

Jack snorted, “Clearly. Were you here all night?”

 

To be honest, Rhys had been there all week but he had found ways to get Vaughn to bring him clean clothes and was able to sneak off to take a quick shower.

 

“Yeah. I just really wanted to get these done. Just a couple more account check ups and we are Go for upgrades.”

 

Rhys looked around and noticed the papers had scattered around him as he rested on the couch. Jack noticed and started picking some up and handing them to Rhys. Jack would be lying if he said he wasn’t impressed with Rhys. With the amount of work Henderson and Jack piled onto him, Rhys was gaining speed and was already through with all the work. It only took him a little over a week to complete it all.

 

“Not too shabby, Rhysie. But clearly you need some shut eye.”

 

Rhys felt his eyes getting heavy but he protested.

 

“I’ll be fine.”

 

Rhys was not fine. In fact, he was far from fine. His heart hurt and he hadn’t noticed but his eyes were watery. Jack frowned and shook his head.

 

“As much as I love punishing yeah, I can’t have you working, not while you’re beat tired. Need that pretty mind of yours nice and refreshed.”

 

Rhys looked down at his hands and noticed his flesh one slightly shaking.

 

_Calm down Rhys. Not here._

Rhys wiped his eyes and continued to work.

 

“Let me finish these off and I promise, I’ll head home.”

 

Jack had an evil smirk plastered on his face, “Tsk tsk kitten. When I say go get sleep, I mean it.”

 

Rhys quickly looked to see Jack staring at him. Jack moved Rhys’ hands and closed down the laptop that lay on the coffee table. Rhys had been using his ECHO so it didn’t matter if the computer turned off, but he didn’t tell Jack that. He had even memorized the last couple of accounts, so as Jack put away the folders, Rhys smirked to himself.

 

“Get up, kitten. Gonna’ take yeah somewhere cozy.”

 

Rhys blushed and hesitated before following Jack into a room just within Jack’s office. When Jack opened the door, Rhys was not expecting to find a full bedroom inside. Within the bedroom there were other doors that Rhys assumed led into a kitchen and bathroom. The thing that grabbed his attention was the bed, which had gold sheets, a black frame and simple grey walls. Rhys enjoyed the colours and just the sight of the full king sized bed had Rhys feeling sleepy. Jack patted Rhys' back and laughed.

 

“Go on kid. I’ll be out here workin’. Sleep. Try not to drool on my bed, hmmkay?”

 

Rhys nodded and immediately fell to the bed with a light thud. Jack smirked as Rhys snuggled up to the pillows and immediately dozed off. Jack stood in the door staring at the kid, noticing how he slightly curled into a ball, humming and lightly snoring.

 

_Cute._

Jack shut the door and made his way back to his desk, swinging himself into his chair and on instinct, called Angel.

 

“Eh sweet pea, any news for Jack?”

 

“You’re not going to like it.”

 

“Lay it on me.”

 

 

 

Calm. A word Rhys had not felt for years. Lying in this magical, Handsome bed, Rhys did not stir in his sleep, nor did he have the urge to wake up. He wanted to stay there forever. For once, Rhys didn’t stumble into his nightmares and he didn’t want this moment to pass, but he knew it would have to. He checked his ECHO eye and realized he had in fact slept all day. 11pm glowed brightly and had Rhys almost jumping out of the bed. As he went to roll over, he came in contact with another body - Jack’s body. Rhys froze as he stared at the man in the dark. Jack was almost naked except for the mask on his face and his yellow Hyperion boxers. Rhys blushed looking at Jack. Never in a million years did Rhys ever picture something like this would ever happen. Slowly and carefully, Rhys rolled towards the other direction, trying not to disturb Jack’s slumber and trying to leave the bed.

 

“Go back to sleep, kid.”

 

Rhys yelped at the sudden voice, clear and loud at his back. He turned his head to see Jack staring at him.

 

He coughed, forcing out his slightly sore voice, “Sorry, did I wake you?”

 

Jack smirked and brought his arms up to cover a yawn.

 

“Nah, I just jumped in. I didn’t wake you though, right?”

 

Rhys blushed and shook his head, “No. The sleep was amazing but I think it’s time -I should be getting back to wor-”

 

Jack grabbed Rhys and brought him closer, “Just shh about work and sleep.”

 

Rhys blinked rapidly at the scene in front of him, not believing what was actually happening. Had Jack just moved Rhys closer to him so he could spoon him? Rhys checked, double-checked and even closed his eyes tightly before re-opening them to see, yep, Jack’s arm was still in fact wrapped around him. A chill ran up his back as Jack brought his head and nuzzled Rhys neck.

 

He slurred the words, “You smell nice.”

 

Rhys awkwardly laughed at the compliment, “Uh, thanks. It’s called soap.”

 

Jack lightly huffed and ever so slightly brought Rhys closer. Rhys felt himself go rigid and immediately went still. This shouldn’t be happening. This wasn’t right at all.

 

“I-uh- seriously shou-”

 

“Rhys, if you don’t go back to sleep, I will knock you out myself.”

 

Without hesitation, Rhys rolled away from Jack, grabbed a pillow closer and did as he was told. The big issue blaring in his head being he was lying in the same bed as HANDSOME FREAKING JACK. The only other time he had ever cuddled another person was a girl he dated back in school and that one time him and Vaughn got incredibly drunk and had a bro-cuddle. Rhys wasn’t actually tired anymore. Handsome Jack aside, he felt refreshed. Not too long after, Rhys heard Jack’s breathing slow as he fell asleep.

 

_Well, this is weird._

 

Rhys felt restless and decided he might as well finish his work. He opened his ECHO eye and continued finishing the last two accounts he had to line up, remembering the codes perfectly and matching them up. It had only taken him about fifteen minutes to match them and sort through the information that came flooding into his ECHO, but that was it. Finally, he was done. It felt victorious in that moment and once he was free from Jack’s bed, he promised he’d pat himself on the back. Rhys giggled to himself. Vaughn would NOT believe this but Yvette would probably tease him so he would avoid telling her. As he shut down his ECHO, he took a deep breath and tried to close his eyes. Not too long after, he found himself falling asleep.

 

 

He awoke to Jack sitting at the edge of the bed, talk-shouting into his ECHO.

 

“And WHY am I just getting wind of this now? Angel, you SAID no one would survive that crash. HOW. HOW did they survive?”

 

Rhys shifted and rubbed his eyes, yawning. Jack hadn’t noticed right away.

 

“Everything okay, Jack?”

 

Jack looked back and paused before answering his call,

 

“Listen, Angel, I’ll call you later. Keep tracking those bastards and get Wilhelm and Nisha up to speed. I’ll be down there in a couple hours.”

 

Jack sighed as he looked at Rhys and gave him a devilish smile. Rhys was confused and quickly covered himself with the blanket, feeling slightly exposed.

 

Jack noticed, “Have a nice sleep?”

 

Rhys nodded, “Uh yeah I appreciate-”

 

Jack interrupted him by getting off the bed and heading right into the bathroom.

 

“…it.”

 

Sitting there in the quiet space, Rhys wasn’t entirely sure what to do. It was a Wednesday and as far as he could tell, he was clear of work at the moment. He curled back into the bed and waited for Jack to re-enter the bedroom, where he was now fully clothed and smirking at Rhys.

 

“If you wanna’ have a shower, feel free to. I have business on Pandora. Henderson SHOULD have something for you…”

 

Rhys nodded, “Anything else I can do for you while you’re away?”

 

Jack hadn’t thought about it and rocked on his heels.

 

“Nope but I’ll call yeah if anything pops up.”

 

With that, Jack rushed over to the Fast Travel and was gone before Rhys could say goodbye.

 

 

 

 

Henderson had not expected Jack to leave so suddenly and was the only other person who could collect Rhys’ work.

 

“And this is all the accounts? Everything's ready for upgrading?”

 

Rhys smiled and brushed his hair back, “That’s all you guys gave me so yes. Everything’s been double checked.”

 

“Better be right, Rhys.”

 

As Henderson quickly learned, Rhys was more than right. He smiled and nodded to seeing everything smoothly going through. Rhys fixed his tie and smiled at Henderson,

 

“Anything else for you today sir?”

 

Honestly, Henderson didn’t have anything. What he didn’t give Rhys he had given to Vazquez. He tried to find something in the system but nothing much popped out except for the usual business on Pandora.

 

“Not that I can think of. You’re good for lunch. Once you're finished, head back here. Might just have you watch security the rest of the day. For once, Rhys, you might actually be holding on.”

 

Rhys cringed at the way Henderson put it but he took it with a grain of salt. He had done well. In fact, he’d done more than he’d ever done before. He may have screwed up, and by screwed up, he lost more than he was worth, but he was making it up in big ways. Rhys was proud and nothing could crush him in that moment. With that, Henderson dismissed him and Rhys was free to head to lunch.

 

It felt like he hadn’t seen his friends in years and it was a breath of fresh air to see them smiling up at Rhys.

 

“Vaughn. Yvette. We’ve got a LOT to talk about.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YESSSSSSSS.
> 
> This was one of my favourites to write... for various reasons.
> 
> Rhys has easily become my favourite to write.


	6. Non-Stop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack had a bad month on Pandora. Just when he thought he was winning, it all came to a halt. 
> 
> And when Jack's not winning, no one else is either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was listening to Hamilton while writing this... hence the title.
> 
> Also because the craziness on Pandora is Non-stop....

About two weeks had passed and still no sign of Jack. Rhys was getting worried about his boss. He never received a call or even a message from Jack and felt semi-lost without a little more guidance. Henderson gave him as much work as he could but Rhys had proved to be efficient and quick, leaving Henderson unsure of what else to give Rhys aside security work and even suggesting re-looking into R&D. With the rush of having a regular day, Rhys was able to have his lunch breaks and keep his friends in the loop of everything going on. They all knew that Rhys may have screwed himself out of an ‘official’ promotion from Henderson, but he knew he was in a better position than Vazquez and a huge part of him believed that was all he needed.

 

_Small victories._

As Yvette stole the last of Rhys fries, Rhys made his way to R&D where he watched in fascination as new robotics were being made. Some of the scientist even used Rhys’ robotics as a demonstration of comparing the old to the new models, which made Rhys feel uncomfortable, old and outdated. He pushed the thought out of his mind when he saw an older scientist intensely staring at him.

 

“Can I help you Mr?”

 

The scientist looked around and realized Rhys was talking directly to him.

 

“Oh. Yes. Hi. I’m Nakayama. Professor Nakayama.”

 

_Why does that name sound familiar?_

Rhys put his mechanical hand out and smiled at the scientist.

 

“Nice to meet you, I’m Rhys.”

 

The scientists frowned and did not make any attempt to shake his hand,

 

“I know.”

 

Rhys brought his hand back, “Ahem. Okay. How can I help you?”

 

Nakayama stood and glanced at Rhys side ways. That’s when his eyes went wide. He dashed at Rhys unexpectedly causing Rhys to flinch. Nakayama noticed and laughed nervously,

 

“Oh, sorry there. I just noticed your port. Mind if I look?”

 

Rhys had a bad vibe about this guy and he wasn’t entirely sure why. He hated people looking at him like a…subject.

 

“I’m sorry but why? It’s just a port.”

 

“Ah so you think boy. But that specific one was one of MY designs.”

 

Rhys froze and stared at the scientist. Now he knew why he didn’t like this guy and why his stomach immediately felt like it was going to jump out of his body. Rhys tried to act calm, feeling his heart beat race and his arm start to shake. He fixed his tie and smiled at the man,

 

“I appreciate the work you did but I need to leave. I’ve got other business to attend to.”

 

With that, Rhys pushed Nakayama down and ran out the door towards his apartment. It felt like an uphill climb as he waited in the elevator to reach his home.

 

_Not now Rhys. Come on. Hold on man._

Barely waiting for the doors to open, Rhys burst out in the hall and made his way into the apartment and shut the door behind him. He was alone and he wished he wasn’t. He fell against the door as his panic attack started to build. He pushed his legs to his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around them. He hated this. Just when he thought it was all over, something else brought it all back.

 

Rhys barely heard Vaughn enter, let alone remembered how he was now sitting on the couch in their living room. Vaughn placed something in Rhys hands, which caused him to flinch and drop the warm cup, spilling whatever was inside on the floor.

 

“Shit. I-I-I”

 

Vaughn grabbed the mug and immediately cleaned up.

 

“It’s okay bro. I got it.”

 

Rhys was having a hard time breathing but found it easier per second. When Vaughn returned with the same mug filled with something warm again, Vaughn prepared him.

 

“Are you good this time?”

 

Rhys nodded and took the mug. He lifted it to his mouth and realized it was soup. Vaughn sat beside him and slurped his own mug of broth.

 

“You doing okay bro?”

 

Rhys sipped the soup but didn’t answer. Honestly, he didn’t know. The incident had been over three years ago and yet, something always found a way to trigger his thoughts into falling back into it. Vaughn waited patiently, staring at Rhys, scared he might lose his grip on the mug again. Rhys breathed in and nodded, not able to get any actual words out. Vaughn forced a smile and continued to drink his soup.

 

“Hear anything from your boyfriend…or sorry, Handsome Jack?”

 

Rhys smiled and lightly bumped Vaughn and earning a small giggle, making the weight on Rhys’ shoulder’s lighten tremendously. Vaughn always knew how to get him back. That’s why he loved his friends and would do anything for them. Rhys looked at the time and realized how late it had been. Henderson was going to shoot him. Vaughn noticed the panic in Rhys’ face.

 

“What’s up bro?”

 

Rhys forced out, “Henderson.”

 

Vaughn shrugged, “He called and I explained what happened. It’s cool man. He knows how insane you’ve been working yourself.”

 

Rhys owed Vaughn more than he owed this damn company. One day, he would repay his buddy. For now, the struggle continued for the both of them.

 

 

 

Another month had passed and still no sign of Jack. The only thing exciting that happened were multiple moonshots being launched for reasons unknown to Rhys but clearly Henderson knew. Keeping the codes to launch close to his chest. Rhys didn’t pester him and simply took to doing his security work, all the while staying as far away from R&D as possible.

 

By the month's end, a surprise announcement came from Jack. Rhys stomach dropped to the tone of Jack’s voice, slurring his words slightly, which Rhys assumed meant Jack was either drunk, tired or a mixture.

 

“Hello you assholes. Quick update. Vault hunters, bandits, basically anyone on Pandora is now wanted. Shoot to kill. All because of a freakin’ bird. One of our best, Wilhelm is dead. Mind you I poisoned him but regardless. Then Nis…Nisha. Ha. She was a fun one let me tell yeah. Yeah. She’s gone too. Killed. Those two were one of the only people I could work with in this world. New operation for you all. Get those vault hunters. Dead or alive, I don’t care at this point. We’ve already got the vault key charging thanks to my… we’re close to the vault location and believe it or not, we’re close to having Pandora in our hands. Well, MY hands. I could care less where your hands are. I’m goin’ back to drinking. Don’t ask me for shit or I will strangle yeah. Later.”

 

Rhys heart hurt and he didn’t understand why. He barely knew Jack and yet, this man was everything Rhys wanted to be. Aside from the killing, he considered Jack his idol. His friend. And if his idol were in pain, if his FRIENDS were in pain, he’d do what he could to help. Jack had lost people and if there’s one thing Rhys knew about losing people it’s that you should never be alone while going through a loss. No matter how Jack threatened everyone, Rhys was not going to let the man suffer alone.

 

Rhys stood from Henderson’s desk and started making his way to Jack’s office. Henderson saw the determination in Rhys’ eyes and pulled his arm.

 

“Rhys, this is a bad idea.”

 

Rhys pulled him off.

 

“Tell me right now, will Jack kill me?”

 

Henderson laughed in his face, “If you go up there, yeah. I think he just might.”

 

Rhys looked down and thought.

_Why am I doing this?_

Rhys had no idea, “Well, that’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

 

Rhys jumped into the elevator and watched as he ascended to Jack’s office. As the elevator opened, Rhys entered a now Claptrap free area and heard gunshots not too far from where he stood. Rhys took a deep breath and made his way forward, knowing the war zone he was about to walk into. As Jack’s office opened, he heard a gunshot and something nick his arm, realizing that Jack just shot at him, but ever so slightly missing the target.

 

Rhys grabbed his injured arm, “Fuck!”

 

“What? I missed.”

 

By the pain rising in Rhys left shoulder, it didn't feel like Jack missed. Rhys stared up at Jack, holding his pistol towards him and forcing a smirk. Rhys investigated his shoulder and discovered he was in fact bleeding but no bullet was lodged. The bullet just grazed him. Jack lowered the pistol only briefly and began aiming it at Rhys again. Rhys’ eyes went wide, lifting his hands to surrender.

 

"Jack..."

 

Jack put both hands on the pistol, trying to keep it steady, "I'll give you to the count of ten. You don't move and I'll be sure to hit my target."

 

Rhys flinched but kept his shaking legs planted.

 

"You've already taken your shot. I'm not leaving."

 

"One."

 

"I just want to help."

 

"Two. Yeah. Sure. And I have a horse made of diamonds. Oh wait-"

 

Jack started laughing hysterically. Slurring his next words, "I forgot. I _do_ have a horse made of diamonds."

 

Rhys took a step forward and heard Jack ready the gun with a click.

 

"Take another step. I dare you. Three."

 

Rhys stayed quiet. He looked around Jack and realized his suspicions were right. Empty booze bottles littered the floor and desk. Jack had a bottle of...Jack right by him, cap still off. Rhys noticed his heavy breathing set in as he took another step forward, watching Jack’s smile spread wide,

 

"You got a death wish Rhysie? Four."

 

Rhys shrugged and took one more step. Being careful not too push his luck too much.

 

"Not a death wish. Just trying to help."

 

Jack let his gun drop slightly but not shifting it away.

 

"Oh really? You don't actually care. You work for me. That's. IT. FIVE."

 

Readjusting the aim, Jack grinded his teeth. Jack had no idea how Rhys actually felt. Part of Rhys was terrified and wanted to run and hide behind SOMETHING but a small part held on tight, wanting to help the man in front of him. He had been in Jack's position one too many times and knew that being alone was the LAST thing Jack should do. Rhys dropped his hands and adjusted his tie,

 

"You think I'm only here to do my job? I mean, you’re not wrong but have you forgotten that I'm not actually making money anymore? That's not the reason I'm here. I actually give a shit about people and I give a shit about you. So you can keep counting, aim that gun at my head if it makes you feel better but I'm not leaving."

 

Rhys played with his hands and quickly placed his hands on his hips, trying to keep himself from shaking. Jack stared at him, holding tight to the gun. He looked Rhys over with glossy eyes but not shifting his position whatsoever. He lowered the gun, causing Rhys to briefly relax until Jack swung the gun back into position, scaring Rhys.

 

"Six."

 

Rhys said nothing. He said what he needed and decided if it meant getting hurt to help Jack, he'd take it. Jack cocked his head to the side, waiting and almost anticipating Rhys to turn and walk, but the kid didn't. He didn't even flinch when Jack took a warning shot at the door.

 

"Seven."

 

Rhys took a big breath and closed his eyes. At least he'd go down doing something good. Was helping Jack a good thing? Even Rhys didn't know anymore.

 

"Eight. Nine."

 

He heard Jack chuckle to himself as he slowly slurred and dragged out the last number.

 

"Teeeeeennnnnnnnn."

 

Rhys held his eyes shut and heard the inevitable gun shot, wincing at the sound and expected pain, but realized nothing had hit him. He opened one eye at a time and stared at Jack holding the gun directly to the roof. Jack was breathing heavily as he lowered the gun, dropping it on the ground and taking another swig of whatever booze was closest to his hands.

 

The pain in Rhys' shoulder started to get uncomfortable which reassured Rhys that he was in fact still alive. He hesitated before making any move,

 

"Med kit?"

 

Jack stared down at his desk and pointed towards his room.

 

"Bathroom mirror."

 

Rhys walked to the bathroom and found a small, clearly unused med kit. He rolled his sleeve up and began cleaning the wound. It wasn’t deep but it was enough for Rhys. The sight of blood, especially his own made him weak. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his breathing. Throwing away the bloody wipes, he took out a bigger bandaid, noticing the only ones were children's kitty themed bandaids. He smiled down and carefully placed it on his shoulder. He closed the medkit, shut the mirror and looked at himself, truly staring back at his reflection. His eyes had permanent black bags hanging underneath, he was paler than usual and there was sweat on his forehead. Out of habit, his ECHO eye rang to life as he quickly scanned everything and shutting it down just as fast as it had been on. Shattering of glass came from the other room broke Rhys’ focus and immediately grabbed the kit to await any cuts Jack may have just caused himself. As he stepped out, he realized the bottle of Jack was just outside the room, shattered and liquid seeping into the floor. Jack was slumped in his chair now, looking worse than he did a second ago. Rhys sighed and stared at Jack.

 

"Really?"

 

Jack smirked and giggled childishly. Rhys sighed and called over the small cleaning bot, buzzing immediately to clean the mess. As it lightly hummed into action, Rhys stepped over it and brought the kit over to Jack. No longer smiling, Jack kept his eyes glued to Rhys' every movement. Rhys placed the kit on the desk,

 

"Did you hurt yourself?"

 

Jack laughed at the expression, "If by hurt myself emotionally for trusting such maniacs? Yes. Physically? Pfftt no. I don't know. I can't remember. Why don't you check, pumpkin?"

 

Jack winked at Rhys, smirking up at him. Rhys rolled his eyes and sighed. There Jack was taking a serious situation and flirting his way out of it. Rhys _definitely_ didn't enjoy Jack flirting with him. No, not at all. Not even a bit. (Of course he enjoyed it.) Rhys hesitated before taking Jack's arms and carefully examined them. Nothing but old scars lingered on the man. There was blood splatter on Jack's collar and some on his mask but he realized it was dry and definitely old. He checked Jack's head and felt Jack's hands grab Rhys' arms, carefully focusing his eyes on the mechanical one.

 

"Ever gonna’ tell me how you ended up short handed. HA. Get it?"

 

Rhys thought it was a terrible joke but he's heard much worse.

 

"Ha. HA. Very funny. But no Jack. Maybe another time. For right now, I think it's time we get you to bed."

 

Jack giggled and purred at Rhys, "Oh, getting your boss into bed. How scandalous."

 

Rhys smirked and helped Jack stand by putting most of Jack's weight onto his mechanical side.

 

"Wouldn't be the first time."

 

Rhys smiled at Jack as he continued to laugh along with his boss.

 

"Getting frisky Rhysie, I like it."

 

He plopped Jack onto the bed but Jack tried to drag Rhys down with him. Thankfully, Jack was too drunk and didn't have enough strength to do it. Rhys wobbled but stayed standing.

 

"Awe come on, muffin. Not gonna’ leave me alone, are yeah?"

 

Rhys shrugged at the man but smiled, "You need sleep. Get your mind grounded before heading back into the thick of it."

 

Jack snorted and sunk his face into his pillows. He patted the empty spot next to him, "Joining kitten?"

 

Rhys blushed at the gesture but shook his head, "No. I'm gonna’ hop onto some work while you rest."

 

He heard Jack whine, "Aren't you supposed to help meee? What if I try shooting things again?"

 

Rhys sighed, "I'll be right outside at my desk. If you need anything, just holler. Call. Whatever."

 

Jack hummed as his eyes began to close, "Good. Don't go wrecking the place."

 

With that, Jack started snoring. Rhys watched the man for a moment, appreciating the slow rising and lowering of Jack's chest. For a moment, Rhys was tempted to curl with the man but immediately knocked himself out of that thought. He stretched, yawned and walked back towards Jack's office. He pulled the laptop off his own desk, shuffled a few files from Jack's desk and began working. He knew Henderson probably had better or other important matters for Rhys to do but for the time being, he was helping Jack. Like he said before, it wasn't like he was actually getting paid.

 

 

 

Jack awoke with a startle and a mind crushing migraine. He rolled over and grabbed whatever he could to cover his eyes. Jack prepared himself this time and briefly looked at his alarm clock. Bright, blinding neon lights showed 4:21pm. Jack moaned and sunk back into his bed.

 

_No point getting up._

 

Before Jack could slide back to sleep, he heard his door open and a familiar warm voice speaking.

 

"Good afternoon."

 

Jack huffed and tried to throw a pillow at Rhys but failing to even get it off the bed. Rhys walked over and placed a glass of water on the nightstand.

 

"Here."

 

Jack didn't move. Rhys pushed and poked his shoulder until Jack gave in and took the pills, swallowing them dry.

 

"Drink some water. I'm gonna’ go grab some food if your craving anything."

 

Food was the last thing on Jack's mind. He grumbled and covered his eyes again. Rhys laughed to himself.

 

"I'll take that as a no. Anyways, if you need me, call."

 

Rhys was pretty sure Jack didn't hear anything he said, as he was already back to sleep. Rhys smirked and left. He double-checked that phones and all ECHOS transferred to him so they wouldn't wake Jack. He gathered what he needed and made his way home.

 

When he arrived, he was stunned to see Vaughn sleeping on the couch. He shook his friend lightly,

 

"Buddy?"

 

Vaughn huffed but didn't shift. That's when he heard the toilet flush and Yvette walk into the room, jumping as she saw Rhys.

 

"Well look what the skag dragged in!"

 

Vaughn jumped at the loud voice, waking with a startle, "Who's there?! Oh. Hey Rhys. You look like a zombie."

 

Rhys rolled his eyes and pushed Vaughn, "Thanks bro. Building my confidence since day one."

 

Yvette grabbed Rhys and plopped him down on the couch beside Vaughn, "So, mind telling us how you are? Still alive I see. That's too bad. Was hoping to steal food at your funeral."

 

Vaughn crossed his arms and grumbled, "He's my roommate, Yvette. I'd be the one getting all the food."

 

Yvette punched Vaughn gaining a small ow. Rhys missed this. He was so used to having them around all the time that when Rhys started getting piled up with work, he felt broken.

 

Yvette poked him in the face, causing Rhys to yelp, "What was that for?"

 

"You kind of zoned out."

 

Vaughn yawned, "Wanna’ update us, Bro? I know you're probably crazy busy with plans surrounding your boyfriend."

 

Rhys blushed and immediately brought his hand up to brush his hair back, "For the last time. Not my boyfriend."

 

Yvette winked, "Suuurrreeee. Anyways, spill the info."

 

Rhys took a big breath. For being such a shitty friend as of late, he decided he owed his friends that much.

 

 

 

 

His ECHO started going off as he made a new pot of coffee. He realized it was a transferred signal and answered confidently,

 

"Jack's ECHO, Rhys speakin-"

 

A soft voice spoke, "Oh darn. Is Jack around? I- this is urgent. How did you even-"

 

"Patched my ECHO to his. Pretty easy actual-"

 

"This is serious. I'm sorry, I shouldn't even be talking to you. Please, just patch me through to Jack."

 

Rhys heard the worry in the persons voice but needed to make absolute sure this was worth waking Jack for, "Who is this?"

 

There was a sudden silence on the other end until he heard the soft voice break,

 

"It doesn't matter. This is urgent Rhys and if Jack even finds out I'm talking to you instead of directly to him, he will kill you. You understand?"

 

The voice sounded scared and without another word, Rhys transferred the person to Jack.

 

"Well shit."

 

As the coffee finished brewing, Rhys sighed knowing he wouldn't have time to have any himself. He gathered his files and made his way back to Jack's office. If something was happening on Pandora again, Rhys needed to make sure Jack was mentally okay to jump back into work. However, Rhys found Jack's office and room completely abandoned.

 

"The hell..."

 

Rhys tried calling Jack but received nothing back. The sound of Jack's door opening caused Rhys to yelp unexpectedly, seeing Henderson walk in smiling. A smiling Henderson was never good.

 

"Glad to see you're still alive. I see Jack didn't tell you he headed to Pandora. Apparently, there's an emergency regarding the vault key. Nothing too crazy."

 

Rhys felt his face grow clammy, "Yeah. Crazy."

 

Henderson rubbed his hands together, "Well, now. Hyperion won't run itself. Come on."

 

Rhys looked back at Jack's desk, expecting the man to magically reappear but nothing happened. He sighed and followed Henderson to his office. It was no surprise that he found Vasquez waiting with two coffees, obviously not expecting Rhys.

 

Henderson took both coffees, "Ah, great. Thanks Hugo."

 

He shoved one to Rhys, causing him to nearly drop it. The expression on Vasquez fan caused Rhys to smile towards him and slowly took a sip of the coffee. Henderson looked between the two as Vasquez did his best to hold back his rage, face turning an odd deep red.

 

Henderson coughed and broke the air, "Gentlemen. We've got plenty of meetings to prep for, seminars to attend, deals to make and more jobs to push at Opportunity. No time to waste!"

 

Rhys' mind was in no way prepared to work with Vasquez. He felt completely lost in his thoughts, worrying about Jack, wondering if he was dead or went on a rampage. His arms slightly shook at the thought. Whatever was happening down on Pandora was clearly only getting worse.

 

Henderson was acting too cheery which made the work feel worse than it was. They each split all the tasks, Henderson getting the final deals while Vasquez and Rhys split the seminar and job work. They went further and decided it was safe to plan out the entire month just in case Jack's absence would be extended. None of them were sure if he'd ever return, let alone if anything to do with Hyperion or the station would last without him. Even though Hyperion had been around for a long time, Jack was the driving force of the whole Goddamn thing. No one, and Rhys meant this, could fill Jack's shoes. He dreamed about doing it himself one day but he knew deep down, he'd never get that chance. But Henderson was more than happy to take control of the company. It wasn't the worst thing to have Henderson as a boss. The guy could be an asshole but he was one of the better bosses Rhys has had in his life. But Henderson certainly wasn't the greatest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "LOOK AT WHERE YOU ARE. LOOK AT WHERE YOU STARTED. THE FACT THAT YOU'RE ALIVE IS A MIRACLE, JUST STAY ALIVE. THAT WOULD BE ENOUGH. AND IF YOUR WIFE COULD SHARE A FRACTION OF YOUR TIME, IF I COULD GRANT YOU PEACE OF MIND. THAT WOULD BE ENOUGH."
> 
> "HOW DO YOU WRITE LIKE YOU'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME."
> 
>  
> 
> I love Hamilton. And realized Rhys is similar to A. Hamilton in my story. WOULD THAT MAKE JACK BURR?? D: Or the King.. pfftt
> 
> Sorry/Not sorry about my Hamilton outburst.


	7. Nightmares and Angels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Jack fights a battle down on Pandora, the rest of Helios and Hyperion are sent into gear.
> 
> When the dust settles, Jack comes out with nothing left to lose and ready to break those who get in his way.
> 
> Rhys is not ready for what is about to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Puking is mentioned in this chapter!
> 
> Things start getting intense... and the story is finally moving!
> 
>  
> 
> I try my best to make Rhys a PERSON here. Because as much as he believe's he's doing the right thing, sometimes his actions are questionable. AS SHOULD EVERYONE IN THE WORLD...
> 
> Because we're people/human and humans make mistakes!

Throughout the passing weeks, Helios shook more and more frequently. Moonshots were being sent down to Pandora every minute. Jack had been sending down everything he had at the bandits and vault hunters. Whatever they were doing was making Jack panic for the amount of firing power he sent, which didn't sit well in Rhys thoughts.

 

Yet again, Rhys found himself in Jack's office drifting to sleep on the couch. He stopped when he heard the door open, expecting it to be Jack, but was quickly let down.

 

"Hey, Henderson."

 

Henderson jumped, having only just noticed Rhys.

 

"Rhys. What are you doing here?"

 

Rhys looked around and shrugged, "Just been doing my work but I'd ask you the same. Sneaking in Jack's office?"

 

Henderson crossed his arms and avoided Rhys' eyes.

 

"I wasn't... Sneaking. You are doing the same. Being suspicious..."

 

Henderson's words fell and he sighed, knowing he was just buying time. Rhys waited for his boss to continue but he didn't. Instead, he stalked off to Jack's desk, which had Rhys pushing the work off of him and trailed after Henderson.

 

"What exactly are you doing?"

 

Henderson pulled a drawer but couldn't find anything. He found a photo of a smiling child with dark hair and lightly put it away. Rhys felt like he was being ignored.

 

"Hello? Henderson!"

 

Finally, he looked up and addressed Rhys,

 

"Trying to keep tabs on Jack is...well, impossible, as I'm sure you’re aware. I'm just trying to get a feel for how long he's actually going to be on Pandora. I've heard nothing but this _battle_ he has with the vault hunters. Whatever Jack's doing, it’s making the company look bad."

 

Rhys almost burst into a laugh from that. He held back on the laugh, "Like it doesn't already have a bad name."

 

Henderson looked into Rhys’ eyes, almost scared of the words he just spoke. But he ignored the interaction.

 

"Rhys, if you hear ANYTHING from Jack, you contact me right away, you understand?"

 

Rhys nodded but he knew that wasn't actually going to happen. That was unless Jack told him otherwise.

 

Henderson broke into a run and left Rhys alone in the office.

 

_Everyone's going mad._

 

As Rhys walked into the apartment, he heard the genuine laughter of his two friends. He smiled and immediately felt warm. Yvette had been given a promotion, so for once, Yvette treated the guys to food. She was the executive manager of sales. Sounded like a hefty title but if anyone could do the job, it was Yvette. The slight tremors kept causing their battle game to flicker and at once, shut down. Vaughn made a dragged out sigh. Yvette threw the controller and stood,

 

"I wish Jack would just die."

 

Vaughn and Rhys were not expecting that and stared at Yvette. Immediately, she realized what she just said.

 

"Did I say that out loud?"

 

Rhys nodded, "You really hate the guy that much?"

 

Yvette stared at Rhys and shrugged, avoiding her friend’s eyes, "I just wish he'd stop focusing on vaults. That's all he cares about."

 

Rhys didn't mean to yell, but it happened anyways, "That's not all he cares about."

 

Vaughn sighed. He didn't want his friends to fight, but here they were at each other’s throats,

 

“Guys, please-”

 

Yvette cut him off, "Rhys? Jack. Is. A. Psychopath. I can't spell it out clearer. If you think for one moment he cares about anyone but himself-”

 

Rhys stood, “I know for a fact he cares about the safety of others. He may not act like it. But it's there. I know it."

 

Vaughn tried to talk, “GUYS-“

 

He failed again as Yvette cut him off,

 

"Oh and what? You think he cares about you Rhys? Blow his dick then maybe he might."

 

That was the last straw, "WHO WAS THE ONE THAT TOLD ME TO GET COMFORTABLE WITH MY BOSSES, YVETTE? OH. THAT’S RIGHT. YOU DID."

 

"WELL. AT LEAST I KNOW MY BOUNDARIES AND I’M NOT OBSESSED WITH MY BOSS, WHO IS ALSO CRAZY AND KILLS LITERALLY ANYONE WHO DISAGREES WITH HIM."

 

Vaughn was standing at this point and finally broke into a scream, “THAT’S ENOUGH.”

 

They stopped and stared at their friend, seeing the rage in his eyes. Vaughn wasn’t the type to easily get angry and when he did, it was the scariest image and immediately caused his friends to feel sorry. Rhys instantly regretted saying anything. He looked over to Yvette who looked down and had a few tears roll down her face. That’s when Vaughn shut down,

 

“We were having a great time guys. Why does this happen? We’re all bros.”

 

Yvette broke into tears and Rhys and Vaughn immediately looked at each other.

 

Rhys spoke, "Yvette, I'm sorry."

 

She laughed through her tears, "No. You're not."

 

Vaughn went to add but she cut him off, "If there's one thing I wanted today, it was to be with you guys and celebrate but nooo. Handsome Goddamn Jack has to ruin everything. AND DONT EVEN TRY TO DEFEND IT RHYS BECAUSE YOU KNOW ITS TRUE."

 

Rhys closed his mouth and nodded. Vaughn rubbed his eyes and fixed his glasses. He took a breath before looking at his two friends,

 

"I just want all of us to be fine and for us to all move forward. Not let Handsome Jack get in between us. We are a team and I know it's been a weird week but things find a way to work out. So we are going to sit here, have drinks, eat pizza and have an amazing time."

 

Vaughn noticed Rhys and Yvette looking at each other and simultaneously looking around themselves. Vaughn felt like he was missing out on the joke, "What?"

 

Rhys looked at Yvette again and realized she noticed too. Vaughn stared at Yvette, jaw hanging.

 

"Seriously, what's going on?"

 

Rhys couldn't even speak. He was frozen. Vaughn moved closer to Yvette as she spoke, "Do you feel that?"

 

He looked around, still confused, "Feel what?"

 

That's when Rhys spoke, "Exactly."

 

There was nothing _to_ feel. The tremors had completely stopped. They even waited ten minutes just to see if it would continue, but nothing happened. Whatever was being fought down on Pandora had either died or had won. And that's when the systems all over the station went off. ECHOS included.

 

"People of Pandora. And others..."

 

It was Jack. Rhys had never heard his voice this broken before. It was low, breaking throughout his bits of talking and Rhys knew this was not how Jack liked people seeing him. In that moment, Rhys felt like he failed Jack and felt the weight of the world was slowly crashing around them.

 

 

 

 

Jack tried to hold back the tears but who was he kidding. He had fresh blood on his face, and his daughter’s body lying limp in his lap. Lilith was trying to fight the collar off but EVERYTIME she tried, Jack would zap her with the highest level of pain he could. He held his daughter close and brushed her hair in his hands as if she were just sleeping. His one joy in life, the only person he truly loved and trusted was dead. He was a man with nothing. NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE. And he was going to show everyone just how much they had to lose. Especially the vault hunters. Jack wiped his eyes, picked up Angels locket from her neck and hid it beneath his shirt. He grabbed his ECHO, kissed his baby girls head one last time and broadcasted his voice. Lilith continued to struggle, so Jack did the only thing that felt good.

 

"Eh Lilith? Heel."

 

With that, she had a spasm and collapsed on the floor, stiff as a board. Jack smiled as he heard the last thump of her body going limp. He wanted to kill her over and over again but he needed her, just for a little longer. He needed her until he finally unleashed the Warrior.

 

"People of Pandora...and others..."

 

Jack's voice broke. He had to pause and take a breather. He closed his eyes, the last of his tears falling.

 

"People of Pandora... my daughter is... dead. Murdered. By the vault hunter. So I’ve decided, I’m rescinding the bounty on the vault hunter. If you should kill those child-murdering sonofabitches before I do? I will find you. And you will regret denying me my vengeance."

 

He threw his ECHO and smashed it after the broadcast and grabbed Lilith, hitting another button that caused her to gasp.

 

"You son of a-"

 

"Language."

 

He shocked her again and she screamed until her voice went raw. Music to his ears. He smiled and picked her up.

 

"Got the vault key and I’ve got you. Time to head home. Charge this key. And then all of you are going to PAY. Let's go Lilith."

 

She tried to disobey but no matter how she tried, her hands still came up and phase shifted Jack and herself to Helios where they plopped into his office. She collapsed on the ground as the Eridium flushed her body to exhaustion. The ground was cool and felt nice against her hot flesh. She'd be okay dying there. At least she would be with Roland.

 

Jack stood and grabbed a few items from his desk, still holding the key close to his body as if cradling his baby.

 

"Listen. Hold this. Charge it while I take a piss."

 

Jack practically threw the key and Eridium shards at Lilith. She slid from the floor and took hold of the key, wanting to smash it but only gathering the new shards of Eridium. She began charging the key which immediately started glowing bright. Jack rushed off into another room as she sat there.

 

"Jack?"

 

A soft voice poked Lilith as she looked around for the source and found a lanky man drowsily waking from the couch. Lilith carefully dropped the key and lunged at the man. He fell to the floor and tried to scream but she grabbed his throat and knocked the wind out of him.

 

"Anyways babe. You’re gonna LOVE the Warrior. Hot, huge and a destroyer of life. Just like you-"

 

His reflexes caused him to pull his gun as he saw the scene before him. Rhys’ mechanical arm was held against his back as his flesh one held onto the arm that was holding his neck. Jack froze and smirked.

 

"You got guts. But you’re forgetting something." He pulled out the remote, "I win."

 

Before he pushed on, Lilith laughed, "You push that and all that energy will be transferred into this kid."

 

Rhys struggled against Lilith, "Just do it, Jack."

 

Jack held the remote but didn't switch anything. He smirked at her, "If you wanted the kid dead, you'd have done it. I call your bluff and raise you a slow death with chances of blackouts."

 

With that, Jack hit the switch and Lilith squirmed. She _was_ lying but that didn't stop her from hurting Rhys in some way. Only moments earlier, she was heated, burning and charging the key. As she fell, Rhys fell with her with a groan, turning Jack's stomach upside down. Jack ran to his room and grabbed the med kit, immediately injecting Rhys with an Insta-health. Rhys yelped, but his panting calmed. He had burns along his throat and side.

Jack growled and shot Lilith, "That bitch."

 

Rhys flinched.

 

"Jesus Jack, could you not?"

 

He didn't even move, "She'll be fine. The Eridium heals her. Still hurts like a bitch to her, but it’s satisfying."

 

Rhys sighed and carefully stood with Jack, wincing at the healing burns.

 

"Listen Rhysie, wait for me here. Lilith and I need to head down to the vault where she will permanently be charging the key. Think you can stay alive for a couple hours?"

 

Rhys nodded but couldn't get any words out. Jack patted his head and grabbed Lilith.

 

"I'll see you after. LILITH! To the vault. Time to get this show on the road."

 

Grunting, Lilith awoke with a jolt. Within seconds, a purple light flashed around them and they were gone. Rhys was left alone, swaying in spot until he couldn't take the pain. He buckled over and fell onto the couch again where he passed out.

 

 

“She moves, hesitates or stops for ANY reason, you shoot her. You got me? Great.”

 

Jack was finishing setting up a final Fast Travel as the guards and Loader Bots all stood by the vault, surrounding Lilith and the vault key. The Fast Travel popped into action as Jack entered in a new location. One of the engineers approached Jack,

 

“Sir, are you sure she can’t hurt us?”

 

Jack smirked and threw the remote at him, “If she tries, hit one of those buttons. That’ll keep her working.”

 

He looked down at Lilith and pulled her face to meet his, “This is for my baby girl.”

Pulling his arm back, he punched her hard in the stomach, causing her to double over, “And this is for anyone else you’ve hurt.”

 

He continued to kick her in the stomach until she spit out blood.

 

Jack ran his hand through his hair before smirking to himself.

 

“Great. I’ll check up in a couple of days. And Lilith?”

 

The collar forced her to look up, getting a shout out of her, “WHAT.”

 

“When that key is close, you WILL tell those men. Got it, pumpkin?”

 

She didn’t even answer, but she knew the collar would be able to pull the information from her.

 

“See yeah kiddos.”

 

Jack placed himself at the Fast Travel and headed back for his office. He started whistling to himself as he stepped into his office, seeing Rhys passed out on the couch. He debated waking the kid up but thought against it. Instead, he walked over to his window, looking out at the broken Elpis and sighed.

 

_This better work._

 

“Please don’t…”

 

Jack looked around and expected to see Rhys beside him but realized Rhys was still on the couch, face scrunched and body shifting.

 

“Rhysie?”

 

Rhys continued to sleep and began shaking. Jack rushed to Rhys’ side and tried to shake him away,

 

“Eh Rhys?”

 

He hit Jack with his head as he bounced and yelped awake. Jack rubbed his head and gave Rhys a look of disapproval. Rhys put a hand on his mouth to cover the gasp,

 

“I’m so so so sorry.”

 

Jack sighed and weakly laughed, “Nightmare?”

 

Rhys sighed and nodded. Jack rolled his eyes and shook his head, “You know, I’m startin’ to think these aren’t nightmares.”

 

Rhys stared at Jack but didn’t say anything. Jack gave Rhys a soft smile and stood, not noticing that something fell out of his pocket as he walked towards his room,

 

“Want some coffee? Or something harder, kitten?”

 

Carefully, Rhys rolled and picked up the item and realized it was a locket with “Angel” written on it. Rhys opened it and found a picture of Jack with a small, laughing, bright-eyed girl.

 

_Angel._

 

“Angel? Jack, is this-“

 

Jack turned and immediately grabbed it out of Rhys’ hands. He stared at the picture and pulled his face to Rhys, grabbing Rhys up by his collar,

 

“Don’t you EVER speak her name.”

 

Rhys winced as his collar dug into the still healing burn. Jack noticed and dropped Rhys to the ground. He put the locket around his neck and hid it underneath his shirt. Rhys stood from the ground, rubbing his side as Jack made his way to look out of the window. Rhys sat back on the couch and didn’t even bother looking in Jack’s direction. Jack didn’t want to talk about it and Rhys was going to give him that, just as Jack never pushed Rhys about his nightmares.

 

They stayed like that for an hour. Rhys was scared to move and felt wrong leaving. He would rub his sides and look back to Jack, debating on talking but he never did. Jack didn’t move from the window because tears were streaming down his eyes. Everything he worked for was gone. He did everything for his baby girl and in that moment, he realized he did it all for nothing. No matter how hard he tried to protect his baby, those monsters - the bandits and the vault hunters - still found a way to hurt his girl. Once he finally had the Warrior, he would make the world pure again. That was his promise.

_For you, my little Angel._

 

Jack felt a hand on his shoulder, “Jack?”

 

He didn’t move because he didn’t want Rhys to see him like this. No one was supposed to see him like this. Jack rubbed his face and as always, gave his devilish smile.

 

“How yeah feeling, cupcake?”

 

Rhys held his flesh arm in his mechanical one, “Actually, I was just gonna’ ask you.”

 

Jack frowned and shook his head, “No no. No one asks Handsome Jack how he’s feeling.”

 

Rhys looked down and flinched as Jack put his hand on his shoulder,

 

“Tell me honestly Rhys, how yeah feelin’? Cause I could seriously go for like, a million burritos right now.”

 

This broke Rhys, laughing at the suggestion. The laugh made Jack feel renewed but his stomach had no appetite. He said it because he knew Rhys probably felt like shit. Why did he even care for the kid? He shook his head and looked at Rhys,

 

“Who do you hate at this company?”

 

Rhys paused and his face went pale, “Wait what?”

 

Jack spit and laughed, having to clutch his stomach, “OH MY GOD. RHYSIE. I just meant. HOLYYY KIDDO. I just meant who do you hate, so I can force them to get us food.”

 

Relief filled Rhys. He smiled at the suggestion and was a lot hungrier than he realized. It was pretty late and Rhys was unsure anyone would even be awake, but getting the order from Jack himself would sure be a wake up call.

 

_Who do I hate the most at the company?_

 

Rhys knew the perfect guy, “Vasquez.”

 

 

 

Jack popped open a new bottle of whiskey and handed a glass to Rhys as he kept the bottle and drank directly from the source. Jack and Rhys had since moved from the window and were relaxing in his living room, watching kitten videos. Rhys took a sip and immediately began coughing. Jack laughed and patted Rhys’ back,

 

“Easy there champ. It’ll burn but the more you drink the better it gets!”

 

Jack chugged a bit back before hearing his door opening with Vasquez appearing with a mountain of food. Jack stood and picked at some food, shoving a few fries into his mouth, leaving Vasquez to carry it all to the living room table. Rhys smirked once Vasquez laid eyes on him, shocking the man into almost dropping all the food,

 

“Eh Assquez watch it!”

 

Vasquez face went red and continued to arrange the items on the table, never taking his eyes off Rhys. Rhys smiled at him as he continued to drink from his glass, keeping back the cough that wanted to escape his lips and causing his eyes to water.

 

“Nice to see you, Vasquez.”

 

Vasquez rolled his eyes and headed towards the door when Jack stepped in front of him,

 

“Wait. Vas…quez. Why does… what department did you used to work in?”

 

He hesitated, “Uh, the mailroom sir-“

 

Jack’s mouth turned into a perfect O. “OH MY GOD, WALLETHEAD!”

 

Rhys spit his drink out with laughter, “Whaaat?”

 

Jack continued to smile at Vasquez, who was now shaking, “It’s good ol’ Wallethead. MAN. I didn’t even recognize you with the implants!”

 

Vasquez pushed by as Jack pointed at him and laughed. Rhys was now giggling along as Vasquez walked out of the office and was out of sight. As their laughing died down, the smell of food hit both of them. If Jack had no appetite before, he did now. They began opening the containers of fries, wings, and nachos. Having rethought their food plans, they decided against the burritos for bathroom reasons. As they dug in, swallowing each bit with whiskey, Jack and Rhys started feeling the effects of alcohol and began laughing and aweing at the kitten videos. They would each take a hand full of food and sloppily eating it, while spilling whiskey in the mix.

 

As the night moved forward and the clock struck 4am, they found themselves lying on the couches and giggling at the kittens. The quiet humming of the screen felt nice and calming for Rhys.

 

Out of nowhere, Jack broke the silence,

 

“So why do you lie to protect your friends?”

 

Rhys carefully looked at Jack, confused about what he was asking and laughed nervously,

 

“Whaa?”

 

Jack sat up, sitting close to Rhys and stared at him, eyes glossy and out of focus,

 

“Don’t worry. It’s been forever since it happened, but I kneeew it was your buddy the whole time. How he got the money for you an’ then you took all the blame. It was dumb so why’d you lie?”

 

Rhys realized Jack was talking about the day he lost the company ten million dollars. One of the first big jobs Rhys ever did and he screwed it completely by getting accidentally involved with bandits.

 

Rhys had to speak slowly because his words slurred, “I did it because he is my buddy. He’s my best friend, man. He’s my bro.”

 

Rhys looked over and felt Jack staring holes into him. He looked back and slightly recoiled, “What?”

 

“I don’t know. I knew you were lying but I guess I just wanted to see what’d you do - If you’d betray your friend or take the blame. Well, here we are. The little nerd is still alive.”

 

“Eh, I just wanted to protect my friends. I’d do anything to keep them safe.”

 

Jack didn’t smile or even acknowledge what Rhys said. Instead, he sighed. He leaned over his knees and rubbed his eyes,

 

“See Rhysie. That right there is going to get you killed. The moment your friends get the opportunity to crush you and get away with it, they will.”

 

Rhys’ drunken state caused him to laugh and not take Jack seriously. Jack pushed Rhys over but only caused him to laugh further, “Oh no. The big bad boss thinks I’m gonna’ get hurt. Pfftt.”

 

Rhys was practically crying from laughing so hard but Jack grabbed him by the collar and immediately shut him up, holding him inches from his face. Even though he held Rhys close, he was practically yelling at him,

 

“Listen to me. I said it once and I’ll say it again. You cannot trust _anyone_. Not your friends, not your family, not me and most certainty not those scumbags on Pandora. You trust too easily, Rhys. One day, it’s gonna’ come to bite you in the ass. You hearin’ me loud and clear, princess?”

 

Rhys nodded and swallowed his newly dried throat. Jack threw him off,

 

“Good.”

 

The silence lingered as Rhys straightened himself on the couch. He felt ashamed and upset. He felt sick after what Jack said.

 

_Uh oh._

Rhys turned away from the couch and clumsily ran to the bathroom. He tripped and fell and almost didn’t make the toilet as he began puking up everything. Jack's laughter echoed from the couch.

 

Jack chugged back the rest of his whiskey, emptying the bottle and clumsily walked to the bathroom. Rhys continued to puke, apologizing within each breath. Jack sat by him and rubbed his back,

 

“There yeah go. Let it out.”

 

He walked to the sink and rinsed Rhys’ glass. He filled it with water and handed it to Rhys. He refused it at first, puking again and waited until his stomach settled. He chugged back a bit and sighed,

 

“I-m so-rry.”

 

Jack smirked and shook his head, “It’s fine kiddo. Probably out did yourself.”

 

Rhys nodded and burped. He handed Jack the water and turned back to the toilet to puke. Jack stood and got a cloth out, soaking it with cold water before wiping it along Rhys’ neck and forehead. Rhys gaged a few more times before finally getting his stomach to settle. Rhys took the cloth and wiped his mouth. Jack flushed the toilet and grabbed some pills for himself and for Rhys. He took his dry and handed Rhys his. Rhys had trouble getting them down but eventually just pushed through it. Jack pushed his hand through his hair and sighed,

 

“Think it might be time for bed.”

 

Rhys nodded and tried to stand but simply fell back on his butt. Jack smirked and put his hand out for Rhys. He took it and got pulled up by Jack, who led Rhys into his room. Rhys struggled against him,

 

“Where we goin’?”

 

Jack smirked as he got Rhys into his bedroom, “To sleep, muffin.”

 

Rhys sighed, “But my place-”

 

“Is too far. No way am I letting your drunk ass out of my sight.”

 

Jack winked at Rhys and put him down on the bed. Rhys didn’t protest because Jack’s bed was a lot more comfortable than the one back home. Slowly, he lied back, making sure not to move too quickly and was able to curl on the bed. Jack took the cloth and placed it on Rhys’ forehead before going back to the bathroom to grab the garbage. He placed it beside Rhys and took the lid off.

 

“This is just in case. If you can, I’d ask you go to the bathroom but for now, try and get some sleep.”

 

Rhys smirked at Jack, as his eyes got droopy. He didn’t even bother to get into the bed properly as he felt too sick to move and too hot to pull any covers on. Jack was starting to realize the heat he felt and stripped down into his boxers. He got into the bed and rubbed Rhys’ back.

 

“You doin’ okay?”

 

Rhys nodded but immediately grabbed the bucket and began puking. Jack sighed and sat up, realizing Rhys just puked the meds up. Rhys groaned as his puking continued. Jack got up once more and fetched Rhys a new glass of water and more pills. As Rhys wiped his mouth, he took the water back and attempted to try the pills again. Jack climbed into bed and waited until Rhys’ breathing went back to normal. He kept his one hand on Rhys back and kept rubbing it as he pushed his head into the pillow, closing his eyes and drifting. Before he fell asleep, Rhys rolled over and tried to cuddle with Jack but Jack immediately pushed him back,

 

“Woah no. Pukey face stays towards the bucket.”

 

Rhys whined but rolled back over towards the bucket, curling himself into a ball. Jack smiled and rubbed his back,

 

“Maybe another time, kitten.”

 

He laughed, noticing Rhys immediately grow quiet. He rubbed his back again and calmed his nerves. This time, Jack shut his eyes and fell asleep.

 

Rhys couldn’t sleep right away, considering how hot and flustered he felt especially after Jack’s last comment, ‘Maybe another time.’ It had Rhys half blushing and half kicking himself in the ass.

 

_It was just a comment. Shhh._

 

Rhys forcedly shut his eyes and focused on his breathing and definitely not the puke smell coming from the bucket. Nope. Not at all. (That’s all he could smell and it was a gross mixture.) Rhys gaged slightly but found that nothing was coming up. He opened his eyes and grabbed the water, taking a big gulp before he tried to shut his eyes again. He started counting Claptraps in his head. By the time he reached thirty-two, he bored himself to sleep.

 

_White walls. Beeping. Rhys gasped awake and felt like his body was on fire. He tried to scream but found nothing could get through his voice. Tears rolled down his sore face as he tried to focus past the bright lights. It was hard with only one eye working. A face came into view. The man was saying words but Rhys couldn’t focus. Finally he heard the man,_

_“Please, you need to calm down!”_

_“Wh-e-r-e am I?”_

_Rhys heard his own voice. He tried to look around and tried to get up but everything he did wasn’t responding._

_“Sir, you need to calm down okay? Don’t try to sit up. Just stay down.”_

_Rhys tried again, this time louder, “WHERE AM I?”_

_The man sighed and held Rhys down, “Please, I need you to breathe. Follow me okay, breathe in” Rhys struggled to breathed in, “And breathe out. There you go. A couple more times okay?”_

_Rhys followed the man’s instructions but found he couldn’t stop crying. The man watched Rhys closely and kept his grasp on Rhys._

_“Okay. Can you do something for me? I just need a name okay. What’s your name?”_

_Rhys tried to speak but his tears fell into his mouth. He breathed once more and forced it out,_

_“R-r-r-Rhys. My-my n-n-n-ames Rhys.”_

_The man smiled and nodded, “Okay great. Good. Now spell it for me, okay?”_

_Rhys nodded and tried his best, “R…h-H. Y. Sss.”_

_The man’s smile grew and he loosened his grip, “That’s great. Okay, Rhys. I need to know, just yes or no. Do you have any allergies at all?”_

_He shook his head and began to panic again, “N-no. Please, just. Where am I?”_

_The man quickly went over to hanging IV and pushed a button, causing a different liquid to enter Rhys’ body._

_“I’m just giving you something to help with the pain, okay?”_

_Rhys was furious, he tried to grab the man but his arm didn’t come up. That’s when he noticed there was no arm there. Nothing. Rhys began to scream and panic,_

_“Wha-whats happening? PLEASE. Where am I?”_

_The man tried to shush Rhys as he continued to cry, “I’m so sorry. Please Rhys…”_

_Rhys._

“Goddamn Rhys, wake up!”

 

Rhys awoke with Jack practically on top of him. It felt like his body was frozen and on fire at the same time. He was violently shaking and noticed he was hyperventilating.

 

_Not here. No no no._

Panic continued to grow within Rhys’ as he was experiencing one of the biggest anxiety attacks in his lifetime. Jack was staring at Rhys, completely lost and unsure of what was happening. He helped Rhys sit up and held him in his arms.

 

“Just breathe Rhys. Come on.”

 

Jack felt helpless and rubbed Rhys’ back as Rhys continued to tremble and shake against his arms. Rhys struggled to get any air out and began to cry, only making it worse.

 

“Hey hey. Shhh. It’s okay, pumpkin. Just keep breathing. It’s okay.”

 

Rhys lightly pushed against Jack and brought his legs up to his chest. He pulled them close in his arms and curled in on himself. Jack sat there and pulled Rhys further in his arms, rubbing his shoulders and trying to calm him down.

 

_What in the hell is wrong with this kid?_

 

Jack wanted to get _something_ out of Rhys, “Rhys, I don’t know what’s happening. You gotta’ work with me here, kiddo.”

 

Rhys shook his head and continued to cry. He was practically screaming and hyperventilating. It felt like the world was crashing around him, like the pain wouldn’t end and that the nightmares would never leave. It felt like he was still in that hospital, like he had just lost his arm. What he feared was happening all at once and in front of the one person he never wanted to break in front of.

 

_Yet another person to add the weight to._

It felt like hours went by and Rhys was still having a hard time breathing. Thankfully, his tears had stopped but his pain didn’t. Jack was able to get him to stop shaking but he was still rocking in place. He avoided Jack’s eyes at all times, ashamed that this was even happening. He didn’t want anyone to see him like this, not even his friends and yet, they were the ones that helped him get through it all to begin with and now he had to drag Jack down with him.

 

“I-I-I-I’m s-s-s-so-rry.”

 

Jack stopped rubbing his arms briefly, making sure that what he heard was real, that he actually heard Rhys speak before he continued,

 

“Whatever you’re feeling Rhys, do _not_ be sorry.”

 

“I-I-I-j-j-just do-don’t-”

 

“No shh. Do not feel sorry, stupid or anything like that. This is shit but don’t beat yourself up about it.”

 

Rhys sniffed in his cries and nodded his head against Jack. He wanted to get a hold of himself but every time he thought he did, the panic would start and he’d start breathing hard and tears would begin rolling.

 

It took all morning to get Rhys calmed down. As he continued to sit on Jack’s bed, knees held tightly against his chest, he looked into the bed blankly. His breathing was still stuttering here and there but he was no longer crying, he could breathe and his mind was calm. Jack popped his head in and noticed Rhys look up. Carefully, he walked in with two mugs. Rhys could smell the coffee but didn’t reach for it. Jack noticed and placed it on the side table for Rhys to grab when he was ready. He sipped his coffee and walked over to his side where Rhys glanced at the time.

 

_10:30am. Jeeze._

“Doin’ okay?”

 

Rhys didn’t look at Jack but he nodded and weakly pushed out, “Yeah.”

 

Jack smiled at hearing his voice. He sat down on the bed and wrapped his arm around Rhys.

 

“Calm enough to talk about what the hell I witnessed?”

 

Rhys felt his heart pound and immediately shook his head, “No.”

 

Jack nodded and rubbed Rhys arms, “That’s fine. You start talking when you’re ready. Oh and just sort of an FYI. You aren’t going back to work until you do.”

 

He flashed a pained look at Jack, feeling semi-blackmailed. He sighed and dug his mechanical hand into his flesh one.

 

“That’s unfair.”

 

Jack laughed and bit his lip, “Nah kitten. You know what’s unfair? This happening and me having not a damn clue of what to do. So, how about you tell Jack here what the hell that was so I can be prepared next time, hmmkay babe?”

 

Rhys sighed and breathed again, feeling himself tremble. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on his breathing. Jack was in no rush and neither was Rhys. He rocked in spot as Jack continued to rub his back. Rhys wanted this to be over and never happen again. Part of him would rather die than live through it again and yet, Jack was waiting for it. He could easily lie but even he knew he was terrible at lying. His breathing picked up again as he tried to speak,

 

“Shit.”

 

Jack rubbed his back and held him close, “Just rip it off like a bandaid. Get it out and over with.”

 

Rhys nodded and moved so he could look at Jack, whose face was pale and it looked like he was wincing. Rhys adjusted himself to comfortably face Jack but stayed close to the man. He took one last steady breath before he broke into the story of the incident.

 

“I uh, used to live on Promethea. I know, shocker right? It wasn’t long after I finished school that my parents decided to move me out to Eden 5. Kind of a shit show but better for my focus on my field of study.”

 

His breathing hitched and Jack noticed, grabbing his hands and rubbing them.

 

“Keep goin’ Rhys.”

 

Rhys closed his eyes and was seeing images of everything. Before continuing, he grinded his teeth together,

 

“When word of the first vault being discovered and having been opened on Pandora, spread, it caused a chain of events. Other vaults were all of a sudden appearing and keys were popping up, including Eridium. One vault in particular appeared on Eden 5. This group of bloodthirsty cultist leaders found a vault key and believed the rumors that blood granted them access to the vault. They were smart, but never got their facts quite right. Ha.”

 

Rhys paused again, feeling his mouth get dry. He breathed slowly and felt a sick feeling rise in his stomach. At first, he thought the alcohol was still affecting his body but soon realized he was wrong. He looked deeply at Jack who was staring at Rhys.

 

“It was brutal Jack. If people didn’t surrender to the group, they were shot down and killed. Thankfully, most of the people in my town got out. Someone caused a huge explosion that distracted the group but it wasn’t enough. They rounded up a group of us ranging from just small children to one of the eldest on the planet. It was…”

 

Tears began to threaten Rhys again and at this point, he knew there was no point fighting it. They rolled off his cheeks but he pushed forward.

 

“They ‘sacrificed’ a couple of the children, the eldest and my…my parents. But that wasn’t good enough for them. They were upset when the vault key stayed completely dull. Nothing was activating it. So they thought they ‘misinterpreted’ but man were they off. But still, they tried everything. They started cutting people, even going as far as taking parts from each of us. They took a few of my fingers from my right hand. I fell to the floor, begging them to stop but still, they weren’t getting the results they wanted. They came to the conclusion that they needed more blood, focused on one person and not just various parts, but they believed the person had to be alive and well. I just so happened to be the one they picked.”

 

Rhys felt his stomach threaten to be sick again but he swallowed it down. He looked at Jack whose eyes had gone glossy which only made Rhys feel worse. He looked down at his mechanical arm and slowly lifted it for Jack,

 

“They picked me Jack. Ha. A stupid kid and they just…hacked at me. Completely cut my arm off. I thought that was it. I blacked out, I barely remember hitting the ground but they thought they had it. The key lit up and they thought that was it, that I was their ticket to gold.”

 

Rhys spit and felt like he had venom in his mouth. His body was shaking again but Jack held onto him, lightly grabbing his head and wiped the tears that streamed down his face.

 

“Those bastards are gonna’ pay for what they did to you.”

 

Rhys shook his head, “I don’t even know if they’re still alive.”

 

Jack sucked on his teeth, pulling in his bottom lip to bite, “Why would you say that, muffin?”

 

Rhys looked away from Jack and wanted to pull his arms away but Jack held him there.

 

“Tell me why.”

 

Rhys closed his eyes, “Because th-they ran. The key glowed and…I can’t really remember okay? Something happened that caused them to run. An explosion? I can’t-“

 

Rhys broke into tears, which Jack couldn’t handle anymore. He grabbed Rhys into a hug and held him tight as he cried.

 

“Shh. I didn’t mean to push. It’s okay.”

 

Through his tears, Rhys continued to tell Jack that whatever did happen, caused him to lose his left eye. He awoke hours later in Hyperion Case without a right arm and with his left eye completely gone. They told Rhys options but put him in immediate debt with Hyperion so he knew he had no other choices but to go with the experiment phase. They were going to implant him with a new prototype ECHO eye and see if they could get it working with a mechanical arm, which, surprise, it worked. Jack was the one that originally suggested the trails for robotics, for his robotic buddy, Wilhelm but never expected that Nakayama would go further. From then on, Rhys had been officially claimed as “Hyperion property,” and was forced to do a few more trials before being granted to continue schooling on the facility and immediately being forced into the workforce.

 

“Jump a few years later and here we are. Me working for you and telling you this…shit.”

 

Jack slowly pulled Rhys out of their hug but held him close.

 

“I know it’s shitty to say, but I guess things happen for a reason. You’d never have ended up here if it weren’t for…well.”

 

Rhys pulled away from Jack and held himself, “Yeah, because losing my parents and my limb was worth it all. NO Jack. Are you kidding me?”

 

Rhys was devastated and Jack scrambled, “Rhys, I suck at this whole emotion thing, okay? That’s not what I meant.”

 

Jack sighed as Rhys looked away from him and held his knees tighter. He ran his hand through his hair before he spoke up again.

 

“The main reason I focus this company on vaults is because of what the vaults contain. Not riches or gold, but power. If it weren’t for my team working on vaults, we would have never found that signal on Eden 5 and a lot more people would’ve been dead. Including you.”

 

Rhys stared at Jack, “You were there?”

 

Jack shook his head and sighed, “I wish I had been. That’s brutal. No one should have to go through that.”

 

Rhys rolled his eyes, “Yeah. Well, I did.”

 

Jack tried to pull Rhys in again but he pushed Jack back, “Why do you even care?”

 

Jack breathed in and looked across the room.

 

“I care because I wanted all this, the killing, the bandits. All of it. I wanted it to end. I wanted these worlds to be a safe place. A safe place for my little Angel.”

 

Jack's eyes swelled with tears.

 

_Guess it’s my turn._

Seeing how much Rhys had put onto Jack, he felt it was only fair he did the same. Tears began to escape him but he didn’t care at this point. If they were going to be a mess of emotions, at least they could do so together.

 

“I tried to clean the world up so I could keep my family safe and in doing so, I only made it worse. Who would’ve known? But by standing around doing nothing, the idiots and bandits out there were making it worse for everyone else and I couldn’t just stand there doing nothing and constantly worry that something might jump in and kill us. So I took a stand and I fought my way through not just for me but for everyone. And I promise you Rhys, I WILL find those bastards and I will cleanse the world. It’ll finally be safe again for us all. And we won’t have to worry a goddamn second or keep one eye open at night. We’ll all be free.”

 

Rhys looked to Jack and could not admire the man more in that moment. Of all the things people told, read or heard about Jack, it was that he was a maniac killing anything that got in his way. But here, Rhys was seeing the whole other story. He wasn’t killing randomly. He did it to protect those he loved and now that Angel was gone, he was still pushing to do it for her because he wanted people safe.

 

Rhys hadn’t noticed but Jack was staring at Rhys. They both looked at each other, tears free falling from both of them. Jack smiled at Rhys briefly and held his gaze.

 

“I guess we’re both just tryin’ to push and make the most of what we got.”

 

Rhys smirked and pulled up his mechanical arm again, “You can say that again.”

 

Jack smirked too and laughed to himself. They continued to stare at one another and truly understood who they were in that moment.

 

Without hesitation, Jack brought himself closer to Rhys and planted a kiss on his lips. Rhys froze and stared at Jack, immediately backing away, but Jack wrapped his arms around him and pushed him closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be warned. Next chapter is...steamy ;)
> 
>  
> 
> I HOPE I'M DOING OKAY.
> 
>  
> 
> I'm sorry I'm terrible. Seriously though, I worked more on this chapter than I thought.  
> Just wait until you see the detail in the next one XD


	8. Interrupted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A relationship develops quickly between Jack and Rhys, but all good things come to a halt when events on Pandora escalate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LET THERE BE SMUT. 
> 
> Enjoy...
> 
> Was interesting to write considering this was the first "sex" I've written :P
> 
> Should probably point out that I made Rhys a virgin...

_Holy shit, holy fuck, holy shit, holy fuck. Shit fuck._

Rhys didn’t know how to react. His mind was telling him no but everything else was screaming yes. Jack made his kiss deeper by grabbing Rhys’ head and steadying him. That’s when Rhys’ mind sparked and realized Jack wanted this. Rhys broke and let himself melt into the kiss. His heart was pounding and he moaned into the kiss, making Jack smile, breaking it so they could both catch their breath. Rhys stared into Jack’s eyes and couldn’t help blushing,

 

“Well, this is a new development.”

 

Jack smirked and kissed Rhys, “Yeah, this is weird.”

 

Rhys laughed as they continued to make out. Before Rhys could catch his mind up to the events unfolding, Jack was pushing Rhys down on the bed as he began to climb on top of him. He began removing Rhys’ shirt, receiving a yelp from Rhys.

 

“Uh Ja-ck. Whaa-t are we doing?”

 

Jack laughed and threw his shirt to the side, “What does it look like, princess?”

 

Jack pushed another heavy kiss onto him as he began unbuckling Rhys’ pants. That’s when Rhys grabbed Jack’s hands and broke the kiss,

 

“Woah. Okay. Back up. Are you- I mean I’m Rhys but your-”

 

“Handsome Goddamn Jack and I get what I want, Rhys.”

 

Rhys pushed a hard kiss into Jack and allowed the other man's tongue to travel in his mouth and along his jaw. As Jack undid Rhys’ pants, he kissed Rhys neck, causing Rhys to moan, only making Jack smile with hunger.

 

“Been a long time for you, kitten?”

 

Rhys laughed out of breath, “Actually, never done.”

 

Jack’s face fell and he froze mid-action.

 

“Well shit kid let me pause here. Uh- So you’ve never…you’re a virgin?”

 

Rhys blushed and immediately felt embarrassed, “Well, I was kind of waiting… you know.”

 

Jack smiled and kissed him, “Waiting hmm. Did you want to wait more or can I happily take that?”

 

Rhys’ system was in overload and wasn’t entirely sure what he wanted. This was definitely what his body wanted right now but he began thinking further.

 

“I guess the big question is what-happens after? What would we consider-what do you consider after this? Are we just - gonna’ you know, do it and that’s that or…”

 

Rhys words fell as he watched Jacks face turn into one of confusion.

 

“Uh, well. If you did want to screw around, what’d you consider us Rhysie?”

 

He hesitated, “If we…I’d like to consider us at the level of seeing each other. Possibly go on a date or something.”

 

Rhys was sure his entire body would burst in embarrassment. There was no way Jack would-

 

“I’m down for that. It’s been a while since I’ve done anything that tame but I’m sure I can figure it out.”

 

Jack continued getting Rhys’ pants fully undone but Rhys pushed back against it,

 

“Woah wait. Just. Hold. Please. Are you saying that just to get laid or are you actually saying that and I’m not going crazy.”

 

Jack rolled his eyes.

 

“Listen, if you aren’t comfortable, I won’t force anything on yeah Rhysie. We can stop this right now-”

 

“No no! That’s not what I meant. I just want to make sure we’re both on the same page.”

 

Jack sighed and rubbed his eyes, “If we fuck, I will happily and publicly allow us to date. BUT I will have you know I don’t just put the title of boyfriend on anyone so just a date first and then we’ll talk further okay? But for now are you good to fuck cause I am seriously good to fuck.”

 

Rhys smirked and nodded. He was definitely good.

 

Rhys helped Jack get his pants off, as their kissing became more intense and deep. They were down to their boxers and Jack began grinding against Rhys, causing both of them to moan. Jack immediately smiled at the response,

 

“Sure you haven’t done this before?”

 

Rhys face went red and shook his head, unable to form words. Jack ground into Rhys again and moaned, pausing only briefly. He ran his hands towards the side table, grabbing a condom and lube. Rhys looked at him wide eyed and was unsure how things went from here.

 

“Uh. Wha-“

 

Jack smirked and began removing his boxers. His erection stood out as he climbed out of them and threw them to the ground.

 

“Do you want me to wear a condom, yes or no?”

 

Rhys looked between Jack’s dick and the small wrapper he held. His mouth slightly watered.

 

“Condom. Yeah. Yeah sure.”

 

Jack shook his head and quickly pulled on the condom and placed it on with ease. Carefully, he placed his hands on Rhys’ boxers and began to slide them down, revealing Rhys’ dripping erection. That’s when Jack grabbed the lube and he began squirting it onto his fingers.

 

“Now, this next part Rhys isn’t the easiest the first time. Are you positive you want this?”

 

Rhys was now unsure. He froze and stared at the lube, Jack’s fingers and his ECHO turned on to scan and turn off out of habit.

 

“What exactly happens from here?”

 

Jack nodded and took his time explaining, “From here, I would insert my fingers into you. Since I’m the one wearing protection, it’s only assumed I’ll be the one banging you around. But I can’t just go in full force. Gotta’ get you prepped and then we can have our fun.”

 

Rhys thought it through and began to understand. He felt so inexperienced but to be honest, nobody ever taught this type of sex in school. There was nothing in the books about same sex. Jack waited only a bit longer before his dick began to twitch in frustration.

 

“Got it Rhys?”

 

Rhys nodded and swallowed, “Yeah. So. How should I uh… lay down?”

 

“Whatever you think might be more comfortable. You can stay on your back and I can help you from there or you can go on your stomach.”

 

Rhys didn’t feel safe putting pressure on his stomach and decided the latter. Jack nodded and prepared his fingers just inches from Rhys’ hole.

 

“Okay. Breathe Rhys. Like I said, never easy the first time.”

 

Rhys nodded and grabbed hands full of the sheets, preparing for the pressure. Jack slowly inserted his first finger, receiving an odd groan from Rhys.

 

“You got this. Just breathe. I’ll go slow.”

 

Rhys nodded as Jack slowly inserted his finger. Taking moments to remove it and reinsert it further and further until Rhys adjusted to the feeling.

 

“This feels so weird.”

 

Jack snorted, “Yeah. It will. For now.”

 

With that, Jack continued to insert another finger, causing Rhys to buck his hips slightly. But Jack repeated as he did. Insert, remove, and slowly reinsert until Rhys adjusted. He continued this until he had three fingers fully inserted into Rhys, who was panting at this point.

 

“Okay babe. Now this is where the full thing comes. Are you completely sure you want this?”

 

Rhys panted, as his eyes grew slightly heavy. He nodded his head, “Yeah.”

 

Jack growled, “Yes or no Rhys. I want to make sure you absolutely want this.”

 

Rhys groaned and nodded his head, “Yes. God yes I want this.”

 

Jack smiled and carefully removed his fingers, causing Rhys to shiver, feeling the absence. Jack fully climbed on top of Rhys and helped guide his legs high enough for Jack to have his dick hover just outside of Rhys.

 

“You ready, Rhysie?”

 

Rhys bit his lip and nodded. Jack slowly inserted his tip and immediately gained a loud moan from Rhys, only causing Jack to get harder. Rhys felt embarrassed and covered his mouth but Jack pulled his arm away and held it high, kissing Rhys hard. He wanted to completely wreck the kid. He badly wanted to thrust all the way in and give it to him hard but Jack held himself back. This was Rhys’ first time. He didn’t want to scare the kid. He pulled out and continued to thrust slowly into Rhys. Rhys tried to stop his moans, but that’s when Jack let out a loud one, making Rhys moan even louder in return. Jack giggled and kissed Rhys.

 

“Doin’ okay, pumpkin?”

 

Rhys nodded through closed eyes, “Fuck yeah.”

 

Jack smirked and continued to slowly pull out and insert more and more into Rhys. Rhys’ hardness began rubbing against his stomach, gaining an extra loud groan out of Rhys, again trying to smother his pleasure, Jack put a stop to that.

 

“Rhys. This room is pretty sound proof. Trust me. You can scream and moan all you want. And please do. Because god damn you sound great.”

 

Rhys blushed and felt Jack push even further, making him moan incredibly loud, echoing off the walls. That sent a chill down both of them. Finally, Jack was fully into Rhys and paused, getting his breath back. Rhys was already a complete mess and they weren’t even close to being done.

 

“Okay Rhys. Second to last part, we start moving. If I’m going too fast, you just tell me to slow down, okay?”

 

Rhys ground against Jack, surprising the man. He took that as a hint and he continued. Slowly, Jack began rocking in and out of Rhys, wrapping Rhys’ legs around him. Rhys pulled Jack’s head down as they kissed roughly. Rhys was ready to burst as Jack began to hammer into him, faster and faster.

 

“Oh God. Jack. Fuck. I’m so close. Jesus.”

 

Jack slowed down, making it agonizing for Rhys, “Jaaacckk.”

 

Jack smirked and started kissing Rhys’ neck, moaning into him.

 

“Fuck Rhys, you taste good.”

 

Rhys smirked and spoke out of breath, “It’s called soap.”

 

Jack laughed and continued to plant kisses on his neck until he bit in, receiving yet another moan out of Rhys. Before he knew it, Rhys was pushing himself against Jack, trying to regain friction. Jack grabbed Rhys’ hands and held them high as he picked up speed. The entire bed was shaking, as they became one big mess.

 

“Rhhyysiiee you are so fucking tight, babe.”

 

“Hmmm Jaaaaack. Fuuccckk. I think I’m cllllloooose.”

 

Jack moaned and kissed Rhys hard, “Come for me, Rhysie.”

 

As soon as those words left Jack’s mouth, Rhys became a moaning mess as he came hard against their stomachs.

 

“AHHH JAAACCCCKKK. FUUCCKK JACCCKK.”

 

Hearing his name like that drove him to the edge. Jack thrust hard into Rhys and came, riding out both of their orgasms.

 

“Oooohh Rhyssssiee you are soo fuckin’ good.”

 

As their breathing got under control, they continued to kiss and calm each other. Jack let go of Rhys’ hands and felt him pull Jack’s mouth closer. Once Jack was calm, he warned Rhys with a sigh,

 

“Now comes the weird and last part. It might hurt. Sometimes it doesn’t.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

Jack removed himself from Rhys, who winced once Jack was out of him. Jack steadied himself and removed the condom, tossing it into the trash. He leaned down and continued to kiss Rhys whose eyes were completely closed.

 

“You should shower.”

 

Rhys smirked but couldn’t even move. His entire body felt drained and his legs were weak. He thought after that, he wouldn’t be able to walk for days.

 

“Can’t. Too tired.”

 

Jack giggled and kissed Rhys again, “I’ll go first but I’m dragging your ass in there after me.”

 

Rhys nodded. He heard the distant sound of the water running as he fell asleep. It felt like he had only just shut his eyes when Jack was back, wearing new boxers and drying his hair in a towel.

 

“Your turn, babe.”

 

Rhys sighed and sat up, yawning and feeling his cum on his stomach. The faint smell of puke was coming from the trash and immediately turned his stomach. He stood up and ran into the bathroom, where he turned on the shower and stood in the hot water.

 

_Did all that really just happen?_

Rhys proceeded to pinch himself, bite his finger and even stare into the water before he began laughing. He wrapped his arms around himself and smiled. Jack and Rhys had sex and Rhys was no longer a virgin. All of this was definitely new for him but he couldn’t be happier to have experienced it with Jack. He heard a knock at the door,

 

“Would you hurry up? Jeeze. Gonna’ use all the hot water.”

 

Rhys snapped out of his thoughts and began washing, realizing the only things to use were Jack’s own shampoo and various body washes. He cleaned his hair and decided to use a body wash that had a forest on it. It seemed the most basic out of the other fruity and stronger scents. As he finished up, he grabbed a towel and began drying off but halting in the process.

 

_Shit._

 

All of his clothes were currently on the floor by the bed. Rhys attempted to wrap the towel around himself and stepped out of the shower where he found Jack lying on the bed, with Rhys’ boxers resting right on his stomach. He smirked as Rhys sighed,

 

“Seriously?”

 

Jack looked around and played, “What? What’s wrong? OH. You want THESE? Guess you’re gonna’ have to come over here and get em’.”

 

Rhys’ face flushed but he was not comfortable flat out staying completely nude. He walked over to the bed and put his hand out. Jack smiled at him and didn’t move. Rhys rolled his eyes and went to grab his boxers when Jack pulled his arm and pulled Rhys onto the bed, kissing him hard. A yelp escaped Rhys but got muffled by the kiss. Rhys began to smirk and kissed Jack lightly, pulling his boxers out from between them. He pushed himself back off the bed and slid back into his boxers. Jack watched with curious eyes and winked at Rhys.

 

“Lookin hot, babe.”

 

Rhys blushed and crossed his arms, feeling exposed. He yawned and looked at the clock.

 

_1:30pm. Fucked the day away._

 

Rhys snorted at his joke.

 

They were interrupted by Jack’s new ECHO going off. The high of everything faded. Jack’s smile became a frown as he grabbed it and answered,

 

“WHAT?”

 

Rhys couldn’t hear the other line but judging by Jack’s sudden pacing, he knew it wasn’t good.

 

“Hold on. How did- I TOLD YOU ALL- FINE. I’LL DO THINGS MYSELF.”

 

Jack threw his ECHO and placed a hand on the bridge of his nose,

 

“Sorry to cut things short pumpkin, but Pandora needs me.”

 

Rhys nodded, knowing he couldn’t do anything to help. They both got dressed in silence, not even glancing at one another. Not too long after, Jack pecked Rhys’ cheek and headed to the Fast Travel.

 

“Should be back in a day or two. Don’t wait up Rhysie.”

 

With that, Jack was gone. Rhys had wished they could have at least talked things through more. He knew they were just going to see how things went between them but Rhys felt conflicted and regret started to set in. He sat on the bed and held himself, wishing he hadn’t gone through with anything. First and foremost, Jack was his boss and wasn’t Jack the one that told Rhys not to trust him? He shook his head and pulled his hand through his damp hair. He liked Jack and he really admired the guy but part of him could not believe that anything like this could happen, that anything like this _should_ happen. Rhys sighed and stood up, taking the trash out into the dump before heading towards his desk. He checked his ECHO and realized he had two messages. One from Vaughn and one from an unknown source.

 

_Vaughn: Hey bro. Just checking in. Give me a call or come home, whatever comes first. Later bro._

Rhys smiled and opened the second message. It had a glitch at first and then two words appeared on the screen,

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Rhys stared at it for a second and kept rereading it. He tried to track the unknown messenger but nothing appeared. His stomach fell, even though he had no clue why. He paced the room until his ECHO loudly went off, finding Henderson was on the other line,

 

“Hell-“

 

“Rhys! I swear to God if you are not down here in the next five minutes, I will fire you!”

 

Rhys froze and realized he had not been to work. At all. Jack told him he wouldn’t be allowed to work until he told his story and he clearly meant to push Rhys right back into it.

 

“Sorry sir. I’ve been busy doing…working with Jack.”

 

Henderson paused and sighed. “Oh. Shit. Okay. Well, fine. Be here in ten. And make it snappy.”

 

The call ended as Rhys rushed out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELL ISN'T THAT JUST PEACHY.
> 
> Things only get worse/sad from here. 
> 
> I'm sorry.
> 
> Realistically, we all know this "relationship" is unhealthy. So I make is so.


	9. Time to Break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer:
> 
> I am not an expert on mental illness nor do I recommend you basing anything off my notes. I hope I do not offend anyone and if you feel the need to correct me on anything, feel free to do so.
> 
> This is a fictional story and I mean no harm done. I pictured this scene to be quick and simple and this is how it turned.

Rhys barely got there within the ten minutes but made it. Vasquez stared at Rhys and his face turned red, looking back to his work as Henderson approached Rhys. His face was an off purple hue which signaled Rhys to slightly back up.

 

“Rhys. What did I say?”

 

“Sir?”

 

“I SAID TO CONTACT ME AS SOON AS YOU HEARD FROM JACK. AND NOW LOOK.”

 

Rhys realized he didn’t follow Henderson’s orders but he had never planned to from the beginning. He tried to lie,

 

“Sir, J-Jack gave me orders. I had no chance-no time.”

 

Vasquez laughed and sighed, “Yeah. Orders to eat and drink the night away. Sounds like some pressing matters.”

 

Rhys jaw hung open, as Henderson’s face became a scowl.

 

“Is that so Hugo? Oh Rhys, you messed up. Tell me, and be honest, why didn’t you report to me like I told you to?”

 

Rhys froze. How was he going to explain everything? Was he even allowed to mention what he’d seen?

“Lilith.”

 

Henderson froze, “What?”

 

“Jack has Lilith charging the vault key. She kind of attacked me. Jack has her at the vault. I mean, his daughter just died. I tried to help and then…”

 

He paused, face growing red. Vasquez smirked at him,

 

“And then what, Rhys?”

 

He looked between Vasquez and Henderson, panic rising.

 

“I kind of panicked. Had an attack…and Jack was there. I’m sorry I didn’t make you aware but he was trying to help.”

 

Vasquez laughed in his face, “You’re not seriously buying this?”

 

Henderson stared at Rhys, grinding his teeth together. He was one of the few people that knew what happened to Rhys and nodded.

 

“Fine. But I swear Rhys. If you EVER try to sneak around my orders again, I will drag you down myself. Got it?”

 

Rhys did and didn’t need to be told twice.

 

“Good. First and foremost. The vault hunters have been wrecking havoc trying to find this damn vault. We’ve got reports all over Pandora that need new supplies, weapons, just the whole crate. Help me do the orders and figure out further security. Clearly, there isn’t enough at these stations.”

 

And with that, they began working away. Whenever Rhys got the chance, he’d slide a glance with his ECHO and try to find any update on Jack, or signal. But nothing appeared. He sighed and kept his focus on work.

 

The work only got worse as the vault hunters started getting closer to the vault. Reports of Jack attacking them became clear but he was forcedly trying to lead them a different way, which had worked but even Jack didn’t know how long it would keep them at bay. Jack returned and came directly to Henderson’s office to get them to set up traps, beacons and moonshots everywhere. He wanted those vault hunters delayed or dead because the key wasn’t quite ready. As the moonshots began on order, Henderson pestered Jack.

 

“And just how much longer is this key going to take?”

 

Jack frowned and brushed his hair back, “Child-killer said a few days, a week at most. So I started injecting the Eridium into her myself. Seems to be speeding things up.”

 

Rhys sighed as his stomach got tight, “And are we expecting you to leave again or…are you staying?”

 

Jack smirked but didn’t look at Rhys. “I’ll be hanging around. Got a few more things to line up before I kill those child-murdering sonofabitches.”

 

Henderson looked at Jack and nodded, “That’s just fine Jack. Anything else we should plan?”

 

Jack rocked on his feet and looked at Vasquez, giving him a wink, “Mind aiming a moonshot at the Vault? Might have to use it just in case things start too early.”

 

Vasquez paused and looked at Henderson who double took and nodded his head. Vasquez took the order and lined up one shot directly at the vault. Rhys was bouncing his legs nervously. He turned his ECHO eye on and off and stared at Jack, who finally brought himself to look at Rhys.

 

“How you doin’ kitten?”

 

Rhys face turned red but he smiled, “Better.”

 

Jack winked at him and ruffled Rhys’ hair. “Good. I’m headed to my office. If you need anything, don’t bother asking me. I’ve got a planet to save.”

 

With that, Jack left. Henderson and Vasquez stared at Rhys. He immediately grabbed his things and followed Jack, wanting to avoid any questions or looks. Waiting by the elevator was Jack, smirking and shaking his head.

 

“Knew you’d follow kitten but I meant what I said. I got things to finalize and I can’t have you poking around.”

 

Rhys frowned and a small whine escaped his lips, which had Jack rolling his eyes,

“Seeing each other. Haven’t even had our date yet.”

 

Rhys’ ears perked up to that and pushed his luck, “When do you want to?”

 

Jack sighed and rubbed his eyes, “To be honest, let’s wait till after all this vault business. Sound good? Great.”

 

Jack closed the elevator and left Rhys standing at the door. He groaned as he realized he had to head back into Henderson’s office. It hurt Rhys that Jack was barely acting like they had done anything, but then again Jack was fighting off an entire planet while trying to open a vault. Rhys sighed and realized he was being dramatic. He walked back into the office and found Vasquez and Henderson shuffling through files. Vasquez noticed and smirked at Rhys,

 

“Daddy didn’t want you?”

 

Rhys grinded his teeth, “Shut up.”

 

He sat at his desk and ignored the glares he received. All he wanted was to be done work and back ~~in Jack’s arms~~ in bed. As the work started to diminish and pile back up again, Rhys felt himself become tired. He looked at the time and realized it was almost three in the morning. He looked around the office and caught Vasquez dozing off, while Henderson was arguing with someone on the phone. Rhys stretched and went towards the coffee maker, making a new brew. He watched it until it was finished, signaling Vasquez. He walked over, pushed Rhys aside and poured himself a cup. He took a sip, staring at Rhys.

 

“No news from Jackie?”

 

Rhys sighed and rolled his eyes, “ _Someone’s_ obsessed with Jack.”

 

Vasquez didn’t stop smiling, “Yeah. Bet you shouted his name when he-”

 

The station shook lightly as another couple of moonshots took to Pandora. Rhys tried to walk away from Vasquez but he grabbed Rhys’ arm and held him in spot.

 

“Jack’s not always gonna’ be around to protect you.”

 

Rhys pulled Vasquez off and walked back to his desk. Henderson had just gotten off the phone and poured himself a cup. He noticed the tension between the two and clapped his hands together.

 

“I know it’s been a rough night, but we’re just about there. If we get this all done before tomorrow morning, we can start a bit later tomorrow.”

 

That got both of their attention as they began rushing through work. Henderson found himself going back and forth between Rhys and Vasquez to double check that everything was in order and was exact. By the time the clock stuck 9am, Rhys had finished his portion and was dismissed. As he entered the elevator, he hesitated before picking a floor.

 

 

Rhys walked into his apartment and found Vaughn rushing to eat. When he noticed Rhys he almost dropped his food.

 

“BRO! Hey man. Sorry. Gotta’ rush. You guys have been spending so much money on those shipments. Jack’s nuts. But I guess I can’t blame em’. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

 

Rhys barely got in a “hello” before Vaughn was out. It was the least he deserved for having not been home. He jumped into the shower, got on his fluffy boxers and slipped into bed. As he sunk into his bed, he found he could not sleep. He rolled, tried to count Claptraps, even tried taking muscle relaxers but nothing was allowing his body to calm down. It didn’t help that Jack had moonshots go out every five minutes, shaking the entire station. Rhys groaned as he grabbed his pillow and tried to smother himself. He turned on his ECHO and did the only thing he could.

 

“Jaaacckk. You there?”

 

Jack answered almost immediately, “Eh kitten. Got major developments. Keys almost charged so I’m just prepping some things-”

 

Rhys sat up, “Slow down. The key. It’s almost charged?”

 

Jack laughed, “Hell yeah. Just a couple more days and we are GO FOR the WARRIOR! AH Rhys, can you feel that in the air? The electricity building, ACHING to kill someone? MAN I haven’t felt that in suucchhh a long time.”

 

Rhys shuddered at the thought and almost didn’t want to hear Jack anymore. His mind jumped back to the vault, “When are you leaving?”

 

Jack sighed, “Seriously kitten? Like I said, vault will be ready in a couple of days, I’ll head down there when I know for sure it’s ready.”

 

Rhys sighed and rested back down on his bed. That’s when a thought popped into his head, “Jack. Would I-I mean, it’s stupid but- would I be able to go down there with you? When the vault opens?”

 

Jack sucked his teeth and sighed. Rhys waited patiently but heard Jack clicking his teeth. That’s when he sighed and could hear Jack moving around, “Come up to my office. I gotta’ show yeah something.”

 

He hung up before Rhys could protest. Rhys’ heart leapt and he grabbed a Hyperion t-shirt and pulled on sweats before running to Jack’s office. When Rhys entered, the lights surrounding Jack’s office were off. It was almost pitch black but Rhys could make out the outline of Jack at his desk. Carefully, Rhys made his way towards Jack, who shifted.

 

“Ah ah kitten. Stay put.”

 

Rhys froze and waited, holding his mechanical arm in his other. When he heard a click come from Jack, he heard the man hum.

 

“Wanna’ know how I even knew about this…warrior? Down on Elpis we found a vault and it had information about everything. It knew what I wanted and it showed me. Rhys, I cannot describe how freakin’ awesome it was. The RUSH I got, WOO, it was…”

 

He paused and sighed once again, “The child-killer was there and she ruined everything. Come on Rhysie, I wanna’ show you. It ain’t pretty.”

 

Rhys walked up to Jack’s desks and that’s when the lights revealed Jack’s face. His _real_ face. It had a giant vault symbol burning into half of it. Rhys gasped and brought his hand up on instinct but Jack grabbed him.

 

“Don’t.”

 

Rhys dropped his arm and held it, “How? Why?”

 

“The vault we found had information, but it burned into my head Rhys. I see it all day. Clear as if seeing it the first time. And that’s why I needed to show you, because I know exactly how things are going to happen down there. And you can’t be there Rhysie.”

 

Rhys’ stomach clenched. He tried but somehow, he knew that was the answer he would get.

 

“Why?”

 

Jack laughed and put his mask back on, “Why? I just told you why. If you weren’t there when I saw it, you can’t be there now. End of story.”

 

Rhys laughed, feeling defeated. “That’s bullsh-”

 

“Language.”

 

Rhys rolled his eyes and felt his body become hot, “But what if something happens?”

 

Jack shrugged, “What do you think I’ve been doing up here? I’ve been making preparations just in case things go south. But I doubt it. The hero always wins, right? Those bandits just don’t know when to die, so I gotta’ catch them up.”

 

Jack giggled and rubbed his eyes. Rhys couldn’t believe this and stepped closer to Jack, standing just on the other side of his desk.

 

“Say you die, what then?”

 

Jack noticed Rhys’ voice go horse but he didn’t move, “I told you. I’ve got things lined up. Can’t be hung up on me Rhysie. Life goes on.”

 

Rhys wanted to jump at Jack, punch him, smash him, pull him close, and make out. He was frustrated and didn’t want to lose him.

 

“Jack, there’s gotta’ be-”

 

“Rhys, if you’re here to pester me, get out of my office, hmmkay babe? I got more important things to focus on.”

 

Rhys jaw dropped and he immediately balled up his fist. He stormed out of Jacks office and rushed back to his bed. He felt the subtle shakes of the moonshots and still couldn’t get himself to sleep. He huffed and looked at the clock.

 

_1:30pm._

Rhys sighed and knew there was no point in trying. His body was shaking but he ignored it. He made himself some coffee and quickly made pasta. As he sat at the couch and flicked on Pandora fail videos, the feed cut out as another moonshot fired. Rhys gave up and shut the screen off, immediately losing his appetite. He put his plate down on the table and curled into a ball.

 

_“Say you die, what then?”_

_“…I got more important things to focus on.”_

Rhys hadn’t realized the tears soaking his face and just allowed them to fall. He was scared and just wanted to help Jack but he knew that wasn’t all. For the first time, he realized he wanted to be WITH Jack but Jack didn’t feel the same. The thought of losing him still made him feel all the more lost. Rhys had only just begun to get closer to Jack and now it was going to be torn away. He was sick of losing people, he was sick of getting close to people and for…trusting them. Rhys heard the door open and found Vaughn rushing in, heating up some of his own lunch. He sat by Rhys and shook his shoulder,

 

“Bro? You okay?”

 

Rhys looked up at him and felt his breathing hitch. He was shaking and it was only getting worse. His stomach tightened and he immediately stood and tried to get to the bathroom but missed and puked in the hall. Vaughn was right behind him,

 

“WOAH! Rhys. Holy shit. Okay. Breathe. What… are you sick or something?”

 

Rhys shook his head and collapsed against the wall, “I-I’m f-f-fine.”

 

Vaughn looked at him and huffed, “This. Isn’t. Fine. Bro, if this is what I think it is, you need to go to the doctors.”

 

Rhys felt himself panic more and he shook his head, “N-n-n-no. I’m fine.”

 

“PUKING IS NOT FINE RHYS.”

 

Vaughn ignored Rhys’ protests and called Henderson on his ECHO.

 

“Hi. It’s Vaughn, sir. Rhys’ roommate? Listen, he’s just had a serious attack and it’s getting worse. I’m taking him to the doctors and please, take my pay, but don’t let him work.”

 

Vaughn paused and nodded, “Thank you sir. I’ll keep you updated.”

 

Vaughn hung up and cleaned up Rhys’ mess. Rhys tried to stop him but he pushed him off. Rhys didn’t want to go anywhere, let alone the hospital. Vaughn approached Rhys again, arms on his hips and sighed, “Come on bro, get up.”

 

Rhys put his arm out and Vaughn was easily able to lift him. It surprised Rhys and rubbed his arm.

 

“Wh-why are w-w-we doing this?”

 

“Because your attacks are getting out of control.”

 

Rhys shook his head and wanted to be out of there, “I don’t need help.”

 

Vaughn was getting worried and almost started shouting, “When was the last time you ever took anxiety medication?”

 

Rhys paused and thought about it.

 

_Three years ago._

“A while ago. But I d-d-don’t need medication!”

 

Vaughn put his hand on the bridge of his nose, “It’s not about needing medication Rhys. It’s about what helps get you by and frankly, medication is the boost some people need.”

 

Rhys didn’t want to argue. He rolled his eyes and felt his panic only gain on him. Tears rolled down his cheeks and Vaughn noticed. He wrapped his arm as best he could around Rhys and they walked to the Hyperion Care center. Rhys stopped outside the center and tried to get his breathing under control. Vaughn didn’t push and waited until Rhys nodded. They walked in and found it was filled with people. Nurse Nina waited at the desk.

 

“Ello skinny man. What you need?”

 

Vaughn pushed Rhys forward but he stuttered and rubbed his neck,

 

“Hi uh. I’m just here for a check up.”

 

“Nina no do check ups. We are very busy. Busy busy.”

 

Vaughn stepped forward, “It’s actually more than that. He needs medication.”

 

Nina smiled and nodded, “How can Nina help?”

 

Rhys looked at Vaughn and shook his head, “No offense Nina but any chance I could get my last doctor?”

 

Vaughn looked at him, confused, “Do you even know if he still works here?”

 

Last Rhys remembered, the guy was pretty young.

 

“Nina, does a Doctor Gladstone still work here.”

 

Nina snorted and began laughing, “Gladstone? Oh no. Man was blown out airlock long time. Handsome Jack was not happy.”

 

_Of course._

Rhys sighed and tried to pull Vaughn away, but he held Rhys there.

 

“Vaughn please. I’m fine can we just-”

 

“No. I’m sorry Rhys but this might actually help out man. I don’t want to have to worry about you okay?”

 

Rhys was furious, “You shouldn’t have to Vaughn. I can worry about myself.”

 

Vaughn rolled his eyes and spoke to Nina, “Any chance you can be careful with Rhys and check him?”

 

Nina nodded and opened the side of the desk, “Step into my office.”

 

Vaughn pushed Rhys forward and they entered an oddly yellow room. Rhys sat on the hospital bed as Nina prepped.

 

“What is matter, skinny man?”

 

Rhys sighed, “I have anxiety. Panic attacks come and go. It’s nothing.”

 

Vaughn shook his head and began bouncing his legs, “It’s not nothing. Rhys, you PUKED from an attack. That’s a first.”

 

Nina hummed to herself and grabbed a couple of bottles, shifting a few needles and looking towards Rhys.

 

“Does this happen often?”

 

Rhys bit his lip and shrugged, “Usually only happens after nightmares.”

 

Nina smiled and patted Rhys’ arm a little too roughly.

 

“When did it start?”

 

Rhys held his mechanical arm, “Ever since I lost my arm. There was an incident and it just …never left.”

 

Vaughn looked at his buddy and immediately dropped his eyes. Vaughn wasn’t bouncing anymore. Rhys felt guilty and hadn’t admitted that to his friends.

 

Nina hummed to herself and filed the bottles with two different coloured pills.

 

Nina turns to Rhys and crossed her arms, “PTSD.”

 

Rhys looked at her, almost laughing in confusion, “Excuse-”

 

“It triggers. Incident was bad, yes? It happens, nightmares, whatever else.”

 

“But that’s just anxiety, I don’t have-”

 

“Ah but you do! Nina knows. Anxiety is only part of PTSD. Nina gives you pills. Blue is for bed only. Take one before you sleep. The pink are for morning. Help you be strong and move on the day. Take two every morning.”

 

She almost tossed them at Rhys. He held them blankly and felt like he was being punched in the stomach.

 

_PTSD. How…_

Rhys was in shock and he felt lost. Vaughn noticed and grabbed Rhys in a hug. He had been having these attacks for years and all along, it was PTSD. It almost felt dumb he didn’t realize that before. He just thought it was caused from stress, or panic but all along it was something else hanging around.

 

Nina proceeded to poke a needle into a bottle and fill it half way. She approached Rhys and waited,

 

“I give you this. It will help you relax and sleep. It pack hard punch though.”

 

Rhys flinched at the sight of the needle and scrunched his face up. Vaughn sighed,

 

“Any chance I can borrow a wheelchair? I doubt I’ll be able to carry him”

 

Nina nodded and proceeded to grab one for Rhys. He sat down in it and played with the wheels. Nina walked over and held Rhys’ left arm, poking the needle in. His arm went slightly numb and felt the effects right away.

 

“Have good day now. Take medication, yeah?”

 

Rhys nodded and smiled, “Thanks Nina.”

 

“HA. It’s what I do.”

 

Vaughn wheeled Rhys out and back to their apartment. Giggling emitted from Rhys as the medication hit him hard and Vaughn had to drag him on his bed.

 

“You know Vaughn, you’re the best bro any bro could have right bro?”

 

Vaughn smirked and got Rhys into his covers, “Yeah bro. I know.”

 

Rhys smiled and wouldn’t let go of Vaughn. He carefully pried Rhys off until the man smirked and curled in his bed.

 

“This is the coziest bed I’ve ever been on. Ha. Actually no. Jack’s is WAAYY warmer.”

 

He continued to giggle and blush. Vaughn took what he said and realized,

 

“Wait, you’ve been in Jack’s bed?”

 

But Rhys was already sleeping. Vaughn rubbed his head and laughed to himself, leaving the pills on Rhys’ nightstand and headed back into the living room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This feels rushed but it's how I finished it. 
> 
> Can you feel that? Oh, sorry. That's just the feeling that things are about to fall apart.


	10. One Last Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Rhys begins to get his mind in check, things finally start looking up, until Jack calls him in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well shit.

Rhys mouth was dry and his head was swimming. He groaned as he awoke. Everything felt heavy to him as he tried to move out of the bed. The medication had done its job and knocked Rhys out all right. His entire body was not only relaxed, but also refreshed. He looked at the time and noticed it was 7:00am. He knew he was going to be late but he wasn’t in the mood to care. Slowly, he rolled himself out of bed and took a nice long shower. He made himself some coffee and had cereal because his body needed something cool. He stared at his pills, stomach aching at the sight of them. He grabbed the bottle and read it over, biting his lip all the while. He shook it a few times and sighed.

 

_Fuck it._

With that, Rhys popped the bottle open, took the two required pills and made his way to work.

 

When he walked in, he noticed Henderson was already working to sort out new security orders with Vasquez. At the sound of Rhys entering, they both stopped and looked at the man. Henderson smiled and waved Rhys over.

 

“Good to see you alive. Come on. Got new orders from the boss.”

 

Rhys nodded and looked over the work. They split it down the middle and had to throw moonshots towards a new direction. The vault hunters caught on to Jack and were now headed straight to the vault. Rhys tried to ignore his worry and pretended not to care, but failed when he found himself checking to see if Jack had left. He messaged him on the ECHO and to his surprise, Jack was still in his office. Rhys didn’t reply and left it at that.

 

Rhys found the work to be pretty straightforward and was able to get most of it done. That was until Henderson stepped to his desk, making him jump slightly,

 

“Hi.”

 

Rhys looked up, “Hi?”

 

Henderson adjusted his tie, “Everything okay, Rhys?”

 

Rhys nodded. “Better than it has been in a while.”

 

Vasquez noticed the attention Rhys was getting and threw out his insult, “Oh no, is the baby crying again.”

 

Henderson turned to Vasquez and pointed to the door, “Out.”

 

Vasquez was taken by surprise, “Excuse me sir?”

 

“Did I stutter? I said, out. Go to lunch. Go shoot something, I don’t care. Just get. OUT!”

 

Vasquez hesitated, looking between the men and huffed, taking his work with him as he exited. Henderson sighed as he looked down to Rhys, face in awe.

 

“Uh sir?”

 

“Rhys. Remember?”

 

“Sorry. Mr. Henderson. It’s just been a weird freakin’ month.”

  
Henderson smirked and nodded, “You can say that again.”

 

Rhys smiled and felt himself relax. Henderson bit his lip, stuck in thought when he sparked up,

 

“You know, Jack got word you were in the hospital and something _fascinating_ happened. He made sure your buddy was paid a full days work and that you… were taken off your payments. Congrats Rhys. You are officially working for your own money again.”

 

Rhys felt his face go red, “Wh-what?”

 

Henderson laughed and rubbed his hands, “I’m shocked he hasn’t told you. Yeah. You’ve been ‘bailed out’ so to speak. Welcome back to the making money world Rhys. Just be sure not to screw up again, got it?”

 

Rhys nodded and smiled up at Henderson. He ran his hand on the back of his neck and felt a slight bruise bump on his neck, immediately going red. Jack had left his mark all right. Having his mind on Jack, he quickly messaged him on his ECHO,

 

“ _Thank you. <3”_

Rhys looked at the message and removed the heart before sending it off. Jack had removed his payments and was debt free. Maybe he was being dramatic but Jack actually cared. Rhys body went hot just thinking about it and left it at that. He focused his mind back on work before getting a final message back from Jack,

 

“Blow me.”

 

Rhys snorted and shook his head. Jack could never stay serious.

 

 

 

 

When Rhys entered his apartment that night, he got bombarded with questions from Yvette and Vaughn.

 

“You said his bed was warm!”

 

“How long have you two been a thing?”

 

“Jack bailed you out bro, that’s not a thing Jack just does.”

 

“You know, I’m kind of surprised he’s into your type.”

 

Rhys put his hands up to surrender and interrupted their bombardment as he sat on the couch,

 

“Okay, first of all, yes. We are kind of in a weird relationship. I don’t even know. And second of all, what do you mean you’re surprised I’m his type?”

 

Vaughn’s face went white as Yvette clapped her hands and defended her comment,

 

“You know, Jack’s a hard ass, not to mention he’s what, ten years older than you? I was expecting him to be into people his own age and not an assistant.”

 

Rhys blushed and had not thought a lot of things through about Jack and himself. Jack was in fact an older man but that didn’t bother Rhys. What bothered him was what exactly to make of their relationship. Vaughn shook his head and still couldn’t wrap his mind around the idea,

 

“Okay so let me get this straight. You liked Jack for what? Ever, and you just happen to end up with him? I wish that worked for me. How long have you two been at it anyways?”

 

Rhys could count the days easily, “About a week. Not gonna’ lie, I definitely want more but Jack’s in no rush. Said we can start delving into it once this whole Warrior thing is done.”

 

Vaughn sighed and laughed, “Might be pushin’ too hard Rhys.”

 

Yvette couldn’t hold herself anymore and almost burst, “HAVE YOU TWO FUCKED?”

 

Vaughn covered his ears and shouted, “WOAH NO. DON’T CARE. TOO MUCH INFO. LA LA LA LA CAN’T HEAR YOU LA LA LA.”

 

Vaughn continued to shout as he walked off and into his bedroom. Yvette got closer to Rhys and stared at him, waiting for an answer.

 

“Well, did you two do it or what?”

 

Rhys blushed and frowned. He forced a smile and nodded, “Yeah.”

 

Yvette hugged Rhys, “AH! Our little bro is growing up! RHYS GOT HIS V-CARD TAKEN! AHH And by THE Handsome Jack. MAN Rhys!”

 

Rhys blushed even harder and lightly pushed Yvette off, “Yeah it was… somethin’ else. Could we maybe talk about something else?”

 

Yvette smiled up at Rhys and nodded. Vaughn reentered the room, “Am I safe?”

 

Rhys smiled and laughed, “Yeah buddy, your-”

 

“They totally fucked.”

 

Vaughn closed his eyes and groaned, “Didn’t need that image.”

 

Rhys and Yvette looked at each other and laughed. Just as they began making dinner, Rhys’ ECHO went off and Jack was poking in his ear. His voice was a mixture of excitement and on edge.

 

“Eh Rhysie, got a moment?”

 

“Just at home, Jack. What’d you need?”

 

Jack sighed and rubbed his eyes, “It’s actually…time, Rhys. Wanted to let you know before I go.”

 

Rhys dropped his plate and it shattered.

 

_Shit._

Rhys scrambled to pick it up and Vaughn helped. He noticed the panic in Rhys’ face and nodded, “Go bro. I’ll wait up.”

 

Rhys nodded and headed to Jack’s office, “I’m on my way.”

 

 

Rhys nearly tripped as he reached Jack’s office. No one was there. His mind raced as he looked around, hoping Jack hadn’t left.

 

“JACK?”

 

He heard his distance voice, “Just in the bathroom. Be out in a sec.”

 

Rhys paced the living room and waited. He had no clue why he was getting so worked up. Jack would go, kill the bad guys and be back within a couple hours, right?

 

Jack walked in with a fresh face, clean clothes and brushed back hair.

 

“Sup?”

 

Rhys stared at him and shuffled his feet, “So this is it? The final showdown?”

 

Jack smirked and shrugged, “Guess we’ll see.”

 

“I uh…appreciate you calling me before you left.”

 

Jack nodded and walked close to Rhys, grabbing him around the waist and bringing him close.

 

“Of course I would pumpkin. Couldn’t just leave you high and dry.”

 

Rhys smiled and brought his head to Jack’s chest. They stood there for a few minutes before Jack cleared his throat.

 

“I gotta’ go, muffin.”

 

Jack lifted Rhys head and gave him a deep kiss. Rhys didn’t want to let go and felt something sitting hard in the pit of his stomach.

 

“Be careful, Jack.”

 

“No promises.”

 

Jack gave him one last kiss before heading to the Fast Travel and gave Rhys a two-finger salute. With that, Jack left Rhys in the office for what felt to be the last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Curse you Hamilton Titles. 
> 
> "ONE LASSTT TIMMMEE. YOUUU AND IIIIII"
> 
> Also, you should know what's next. If you don't, hold onto something you love.


	11. Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The news about Jack is plastered everywhere and Rhys can't handle it.
> 
> Work is all he knows and tries to keep his mind occupied while everything around him crashes and has to restart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Jack. POOR RHYS.
> 
> I just wanna' hold em.

It was the first night Rhys was taking pills before bed and it had a weird effect on his body. He was restless before bed and it made him even more aware of his surroundings. Hyperion posters plastered all over his room, all containing the smiling and devilish face of Handsome Jack. Rhys felt himself roll over in circles before he finally just settled on his stomach. He could hear Vaughn’s slow snoring in the distance and was envious that he could fall asleep so easily. It took roughly an hour before the pills started making Rhys feel drowsy. He closed his eyes and opened them to a new day. It felt like he hadn’t even slept and here he was, facing the clock that said 6:30am.

 

It took all his strength not to loudly groan. He stretched, cracking his arm and lightly ruffling his hair. He looked at his posters again and sighed. He turned his ECHO eye and found nothing. Today was going to be a nothing day and Jack would drag out his return because that’s what he did to tease. As he got up to go to the bathroom, he finds Vaughn and Yvette both on the couch, bent in low conversation. Rhys steps out and waves,

 

“Hey.”

 

Yvette and Vaughn stare at Rhys, stunned. He wipes his face and looks down, realizing he’s only in his boxers,

 

“Ops. Sorry. I’ll get-”

 

“Rhys. Are you… did you hear?”

 

Rhys froze, “Hear what?”

 

Vaughn looked at Yvette and shook his head. She sighed, got up and left. Vaughn stood and patted Rhys back.

 

“Get dressed and meet us outside.”

 

Rhys looked around and felt lost, “I’m sorry what’s-”

 

“Just trust me bro. It’s easier this way.”

 

Vaughn let go of Rhys and went out. Rhys was beginning to panic, hurrying to put clothes on, not even bothering to properly wash and fix himself. As he rushed out, Vaughn grabbed his back and Yvette wrapped her arm around his. Rhys heart dropped.

 

_No._

Together, they brought Rhys to the hall where the news was plastered everywhere. Rhys refused to believe any of it. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing but was failing to get it under control. That’s when Vaughn rubbed his back,

 

“I’m so sorry bro.”

 

Yvette pulled Rhys’ arm tighter as he slowly opened his eyes and had to face the news again.

 

“I can-can’t.”

 

Everything went silence around Rhys. He began to shake and felt like he was alone, nothing was moving, no one was with him and he was utterly alone. He stared at the news surrounding the place.

 

_Handsome Jack has fallen. Handsome Jack is Dead. Jack is gone. And I’ll never get to see him again._

 

It started as a low rumble and turned into a hot burning sensation. He tried to hold on but he let everything go. Tears streamed down his face and he began screaming, but he couldn’t hear anything. In that moment, everything jumped, turned red and then went black.

 

Rhys awoke sitting in the kitchen, unaware of how he even got there. He was holding his shaking hands until he felt a gentle hand on his face. Yvette rubbed his cheek.

 

“Rhys?”

 

He couldn’t get his breathing or shaking under control but he forced himself to take her hand and hold it. She sighed and continued to rub his hands. Vaughn was close by but Rhys couldn’t focus.

 

“Rhys, bro. You with us?”

 

Rhys nodded, not being able to talk. That’s when he felt his other hand get grabbed by Vaughn. None of them were sure how long they sat in the kitchen for, but they sat in silence. Waiting for anything to change, but it didn’t for Rhys. Just as he had fallen close with Jack, it got taken away just as quickly. He sniffed and tried to breathe but found it hard. The more he tried to focus, the more tears and small cries that escaped.

 

It felt like the seconds dragged on forever before Vaughn finally broke the air,

 

“I’m so sorry Rhys.”

 

Rhys nodded and squeezed his friend's hand, “I-I-I.”

 

Yvette pulled him into a hug, “Shh. It’s okay Rhys. We’ve got you.”

 

Rhys held her tight and felt himself finally give in. He was exhausted and he had not done anything that day. Work was shut down for everyone but Rhys hated not doing anything. That’s when he broke the hug and stood.

 

“I-I-I…need to go.”

 

Vaughn stared at him and stood in front of him, blocking his passage.

 

“Rhys, no. Come on man, we’re here for you.”

 

He grabbed Vaughn’s shoulders, “And I-I love you f-for that bro, but I-I need t-t-to be alone.”

Yvette sighed and pulled Vaughn to the side. Rhys nodded at her and exited the apartment, heading straight to his desk in Jack’s office.

 

 

_“Jack?”_

_Jack pulled Rhys into the bed with him and began kissing him hard. He held Rhys’ arms high as Rhys gasped._

_“Jack, slow down.”_

_Jack hummed and kissed his neck, “Hmm sure Rhysie.”_

_The scene changed to Rhys laying on the bed, trapped and unable to move as Jack stood by the end, holding a gun to his head._

_“JACK NO.”_

_BANG._

Rhys jumped awake and saw Henderson in front of him. Henderson had sweat on his forehead and smirked at Rhys,

 

“You okay?”

 

Rhys yawned and nodded, feeling his shaking calm.

 

“Forgot meds.”

 

Henderson sighed and looked around, “It’s weird not hearing him.”

 

He noticed Rhys’ face grow pale, “I’m sorry Rhys. I didn’t-shoot. Listen, you can’t stay here.”

 

Rhys was shocked and stood, “Sorry, what? I just need to get this work-”

 

“It was in Jack’s will. This room and any of his will be sealed until further notice. I’m sorry Rhys, I am. But we can’t be here.”

 

Rhys sighed and slowly gathered all his work. He packed it away into a box and carried it out as Henderson put on a security shield and locked down Jack’s office. They walked together to Henderson’s where Rhys dropped his stuff off at his desk and immediately began back at work.

 

Henderson grabbed his arm, “Rhys, stop.”

 

“No.”

 

“Rhys, come on.”

 

“NO!”

 

Henderson froze as Rhys stared up at him, tears failing to stay in his eyes. He looked back down at his work and continued but Henderson grabbed Rhys’ arm again and held him firm.

 

“As your boss and by request of Jack, I order you to stop working. Take the goddamn day off and mourn Rhys. I’m sorry but he’s not coming back and working isn’t going to change that.”

 

“I’m not working to change anything. I’m working to keep my mind going.”

 

Henderson froze and let Rhys go. He rubbed his eyes and sighed, giving up.

 

“All I ask is that you go home, take your meds and sleep Rhys. Time is a weird thing and we’ve got plenty of time to rebuild and heal.”

 

_I don’t want to heal. I want Jack back._

Rhys sighed and knew Henderson meant well, but he couldn’t stop working. He feared that if he stopped, he’d never want to work again. With that, Rhys stood on wobbly legs and found his way back to his apartment where his friends awaited. Rhys didn’t acknowledge them and headed straight to his room, where he fell onto his bed and began screaming into his pillow. Exhaustion eventually took hold and before Rhys knew it, he fell into another unwanted sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOO this is the shortest chapter I've written. Ever.
> 
> I felt like I was rushing it but it also felt to be the hardest "part" to write. It wasn't agonizing or anything, I just wanted to get further into the story and it feels like I'm dragging it out too much. 
> 
> This is it for Borderlands Pre - Sequel, Borderlands 2. AND NOW we lead to the juicy parts leading up to and into Tales.


	12. Who, What, When, Where, Why and How

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a whole year since Jack's downfall. To everyone's surprise, nothing really changed and things moved on without Jack. One day, Rhys is handed an opprotunity and he would be crazy not to take it. But someone else takes it from him.
> 
> This begins a chain of events that lead Rhys into a whole other heap of trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JUMPING into the next batch of chapters, I made a story pre-tales and it flows right into Tales but with a bit of a spin (clearly from the chapters I wrote.)
> 
> It now contains what I've done and will gear how the rest of the story plays out. And for those who have played Tales, you know exactly what that means.
> 
> Or maybe you don't.
> 
> Who knows.
> 
> That's not to say a LOT of Tales is within this story, because there is. I debated just jumping into my bits but I felt it all needed to be included so I apologize for the long story bits and for those who have played it, sorry for the repeat/re-telling in some of this!

1 Year Later.

 

Snoring echoed throughout the apartment and got interrupted by the blaring of two alarms. Vaughn rolled over and turned his off with a groan. Knowing how long Rhys takes to get ready, Vaughn rushed into the washroom and prepared himself for the day. Rhys' continued sleeping soundly as his alarm continued to beep. Even after Vaughn was ready, made coffee and ate his breakfast, Rhys continued to sleep. He looked at the time and sighed, stepping into his friend's room.

 

"Rhys. Wake up bro. You're gonna' be late."

 

Rhys groaned and threw his pillow at Vaughn.

 

"Nooooo."

 

Vaughn laughed and walked out, "Be late. See if I care."

 

Rhys sung back, "You doooo."

 

"Yeah yeah. Just get up."

 

Rhys yawned and rolled over to shut his alarm off. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before taking his pill bottle off the night stand and twisting it open, pouring out two pink pills. He thudded to the bathroom and poured a cup of water to swallow the pills, making a small groan as he stared in the mirror. His hair was sticking up in all directions and he had crust on his face from his drool. He sighed and turned the shower on, hopping in and getting himself prepared for another day.

 

By the time Rhys arrived at Henderson's office, ECHOs were going off and shouts emitted from Henderson.

 

"I TOLD YOU TO STOP THOSE STUPID RACES. How many times do I have to repeat myself! PAY SOMEONE IF YOU GOTTA. JUST... Get it done."

 

He hung up with a groan and put two fingers on the bridge of his nose. Rhys walked up and cleared his throat.

 

"Morning Henderson."

 

He nodded and handed Rhys a folder, "Probably gonna’ be a slow day. Got a few security breaches on Pandora. Nothing you can't handle."

 

Rhys smiled and took the folder. He scanned the files with his ECHO and handed the folder back. Henderson nodded and continued on with another call. Rhys walked out of the office and out to the bigger department where other employees surrounded the area. His desk was dead center. He shuffled through the work on autopilot and finished right on time for lunch.

 

He grabbed the typical, mediocre cafeteria food and waited at a circular table for his friends, who joined and chatted about their day. Rhys sat there listening to the interesting but somewhat same stories his friends told. He would nod, giggle and smile at the right times. He'd even throw in a witty comment here and there but nothing seemed any different from the previous day or the day before that or the day before that.

 

After Jack... Everything went back to a weird and uneventful normal. Vaults were still an ongoing thing on Pandora and Hyperion was the security of the planet, trying to keep it together, while also arming those who needed to defend themselves, signing their life away to Hyperion and would be handing over all of their money if they ever died. Rhys thought it was cruel but money, in his case, made the world go round. Dog eat dog world. He didn't enjoy the work he did as much as the other guy but he did it because he had to. Everyone was doing shitty work because it meant safety. At the end of the day, that's all anybody wanted. Plus, he had everything he needed on that station. His friends, co-workers, coffee and a grasp on himself. For once, his mind was functional, calm and in order. If it meant sacrificing an eventful and dangerous workday for a boring, slow workday but his sanity in tack, he was completely fine with that. Part of Rhys still hung onto Jack, but his friends were always there to comfort him. As the months went on, everything unsurprisingly and pleasantly fell into place and life moved on without him. Henderson took charge and became the new boss. A part of Jack's “rule” stopped anyone from taking on the title of CEO/President. But that didn't stop Henderson from continuing his lead for the company. He still held the "Vice President" spot but everyone knew what he truly was. Rhys was neutral about it all and was happy to continue working under him but it never truly satisfied him. He wanted more but he also feared it would break him if he tried.

 

_Can't live in fear all your life._

 

He knew that much. That's when he broke the silence between his friends.

 

"I think I might ask Henderson for a promotion."

 

Vaughn spit out his drink, causing Yvette to laugh. He cleaned up and stared at Rhys,

 

"Are you sure? I mean, if you think you can handle it..."

 

Yvette patted Rhys on the back, "I think you've got this. You've been doing the same work for a year. Time for more of a punch, right? And that'll include a raise right? More money for... Extra events."

 

Rhys smirked and jokingly pushed Yvette, "Yes. That includes a raise for more food for you."

 

She clapped her hands and cheered to herself. Vaughn continued to stare at Rhys, face turning an odd green colour.

 

"Vaughn, if you've got something to say, say it."

 

He looked away from his friend and crossed his arms, lowering his voice,

 

"Are you positive you can handle the work load. I mean, it's not just kicking your boots up. This is jumping into something big."

 

"You don't think I've considered everything there is to consider about this? I know what I'm jumping into and I think I'm ready. Don't worry so much Vaughn. Relax bro."

 

Vaughn smirked, returning his face to a slight pink, "Worry? Says the guy who has me to always worry you might be late for work."

 

Rhys smiled back, "Blame the pills man. They always keep me knocked out."

 

Vaughn snorted, "I sometimes wish they'd knock you right out of bed."

 

Rhys ECHO signaled that lunch was over and ate down the last of his sandwich. Yvette waved off and rushed back to work as Vaughn followed Rhys.

 

"Just, keep us posted. I wanna’ be there when you finally get promoted."

 

Rhys smiled at his buddy and brofisted him, "Of course man. You're my bro. Wouldn't have gotten here without you."

 

Vaughn waved him off, "Nah. That was all you bro. I was just helping you stay awake."

 

Rhys knew Vaughn was being modest. Yvette and Vaughn helped Rhys out of a tight spot. They helped him rebuild his entire life to get to where he is now. If it weren't for them, Rhys would still be fumbling around, unknown to the company and scrounging to stay afloat. Rhys owed them his life and some.

 

As the friends parted ways, Rhys walked into the busy work area and slowly made his way into Henderson's office, who was typing on the computer. When he noticed Rhys, he stopped.

 

"What can I do for yeah?"

 

Rhys cleared his throat and immediately felt butterflies bumping and causing a war in his stomach. He ran his mechanical hand through his hair before clearing his throat.

 

"I uh. Just wanted to... Ask about something."

 

Henderson waited patiently, crossing his arms and sitting back.

 

"Well? Go on."

 

Rhys held his mechanical hand as he talked.

 

"I just wanted to ask. Or more so see if there's any chance I could ask. Only if it's available. If there's a foreseeable promotion in my future. In the very near future. Or soon. Right now. Before my eyes."

 

Henderson chuckled to himself, "Took you long enough."

 

Rhys looked up to see his boss smiling. "Excuse me sir? Henderson?"

 

He laughed and rubbed his eyes, never getting the sleep out of them.

 

"Rhys, have you not noticed you are the only one who I asked to see me to get your work?"

 

Rhys hadn't noticed. Once Henderson mentioned, Rhys realized the others had their work laid out on their desks.

 

"Uhh. What?"

 

Henderson stood and patted Rhys' arm.

 

"I've been waiting to give you one since the... Well, you know. After everything, I just didn't know when it would be right or when you were ready. So I didn't push. I just threw in the subtle work and extra when I could and you were always finished before I had more to give. You've proved yourself in the past and you continue to impress me, however..."

 

Henderson's face dropped, "I do have other candidates that are coming in for interviews and I want to be respectful. So Rhys. Would you take the interview to be my senior vice president?"

 

Rhys smiled so hard he thought his face would break, "Yeah. Yes sir. Oh. Thank you. Thank you so much."

 

Henderson laughed as he took Rhys hand for a shake. "Just don't disappoint me. Still have to get past that interview. And let's just say by the looks of it, you're already there."

 

Henderson winked at him and sat back at his desk. "Just don't go telling anyone I said that."

 

Rhys laughed and bit his lip to make sure this was real. "Yes sir. Henderson. Uh. So whens the interview?"

 

Henderson sighed and checked his schedule. "Oh sh- it's actually tomorrow at noon. Sorry to put that on you."

 

Rhys shook his head and laughed, "Not a problem. Tomorrow works just fine. I'll go for lunch early and then meet?"

 

Henderson nodded and began typing, "Works for me. And by the looks of it, I've got nothing left for yeah. Guess you can head in early, you know. Prepare for tomorrow."

 

Rhys wanted to cheer, jump in the air and kiss Henderson. Okay. Maybe not the last part but he was on cloud nine. Nothing could take this from him and nothing could tear him down.

 

Nothing.

 

Rhys’ excitement was at an all time high. He was so excited that his sleep never came. Not even his pills affected him. Everything about today was going perfect. He made breakfast for his roommate and added an early dessert to celebrate. When they left for work, the station was at a perfect temperature; not too hot and not too cold. He was beaming when he walked into the loud and unorganized office and said hello to his coworkers who either gave him a weird look or ignored him completely. Waiting on his desk was a new work folder because Henderson was having his interviews all morning and Rhys' was strategically placed last. Still, Henderson warned him that if someone's interview was flawless, he might have to compete and needed to bring his A-game. At this point, Rhys was ready. He could care less if he didn't actually get the position. After Henderson held his hopes up so high, not getting the position would suck, but whoever did get the position, Rhys believed they deserved it. Especially if they could impress Henderson and steal if from Rhys.

 

The excitement made Rhys' mind work in overdrive and finished his work a little too early. He took that opportunity to mingle and help some of his coworkers to get their names all figured out before getting the job that would require to know all of that. Once it was time for break, he almost ran to the cafeteria where Yvette and Vaughn held a small little celebration with small cupcakes for each of them. In that moment, Rhys lost his appetite as his nerves began to set in.

 

_What if I don't get it? What if I don't actually get it?_

He stared blankly at the cupcakes before him and couldn't stomach the site of them.

 

Yvette noticed, “If you can't eat yours, I'd happily take it from you."

 

Holding back a gag, Rhys stared and could only nod. Yvette yanked it and began eating the cupcakes. Vaughn looked at Rhys and forced a smile.

 

"It's gonna be fine man. He told you, you already have it in the bag."

 

"But just say someone else gets it. What than?"

 

"You be the better man. Congratulate them and move on. There's always another opportunity down the road."

 

Rhys groaned as he leaned against the table and wrapped his head in his hands.

 

"It could be forever until the next opportunity."

 

Yvette spoke with a full mouth, "Jussss et it bee known you ork ard."

 

Rhys sighed and rubbed his head. His cool mechanical had snagged slightly in his hair but he pulled and untangled it. He heard his ECHO signal the end of break and immediately felt sick.

 

"I can't do this."

 

Yvette stood up and turned towards him, "You can and you will. Don't give up now."

 

She walked off and left Vaughn and Rhys. They cleaned up and walked together to Henderson's office.

 

"You got this buddy. We've come a long way for this man. I don't mean to rise off your success but DAMN it feels good."

 

Rhys smirked and rubbed his arm. Still feeling slightly sick.

 

"Just remember. Once I move up, we all move up. Yvette and you, Vaughn. I owe it to you guys."

 

"Nah man. I mean, we did some shitty things that totally don't haunt my dreams at night but we leave that behind and try to do better the higher we get."

 

Vaughn always had a way to keep Rhys distracted and as they approached Henderson's office, they paused. Vaughn put both hands on Rhys' shoulders.

 

"Okay buddy. Now show me your Hyperion game face."

 

Rhys rolled his eyes and pouted. Vaughn snorted and lightly smacked Rhys' arm.

 

"Try sticking your nose in the air more. Like I'm a piece of scum not worthy of your presence."

 

Rhys felt ridiculous but he followed, "Like this?"

 

Vaughn gave a thumbs up, "Perfect. Now, get in there and take what's yours."

 

Rhys smiled at his friend and left him behind as he walked into the office. He straightened his tie and held his head high,

 

"Hope the other interviews weren't too ba-"

 

A familiar low voice was talking into his phone, laughing at the other end.

 

"Yeah, I’ll take it in red and black. - Take a seat Rhys. - Anyways, I'll call you later."

 

The man turned around in his chair and Rhys’ jaw hit the floor.

 

"Vasquez? Where's Henderson."

 

He gave Rhys a gut-clenching smile, "Oh Henderson? He had to uh....step out."

 

Rhys didn't sit or even move. Vasquez smirked,

 

"You're probably wondering why I called you here-"

 

Rhys scowled, "You didn't. I had an interview with Henderson-"

 

"About your promotion. Oh yeah, I heard. And you know, I couldn't believe he was actually going to let that happen. After ALL the work I did for him. And the deals I made."

 

"Listen, just tell me what's going on. I wasn't expecting you."

 

Vasquez got out of his chair and walked around his desk towards Rhys. Stalking his prey.

 

"You know, Henderson was weak. He was too easy on his workers and never saw those of you who had...flaws. But I did. And I realized people like him were stupid. Wrong and would never win."

 

Rhys put his arms on his hips, "What?"

 

Vasquez stepped a little too close for Rhys comfort. "Look, you wanna’ know the reason why I'm in that chair and you're not? For the exact same reason why north is north, why the handsome guy always gets the girl, and why every spaceship in the universe is shaped like a cock. It’s ‘destiny’ Rhys and real men, men like me, make their own."

 

Out of the corner of his eye, Rhys was stunned as he saw a floating figure enter his view in the window outside the station,

 

"Henderson."

 

Vasquez turned and started laughing, "Well that could not have worked out better. Nice timing with all the shit I just told you. Listen. You can hold a grudge if you like, no harm no foul, but bad things can happen when you swim against fate. Sometimes men find themselves standing in the way of other men's destiny. Just like Henderson. YOU don't want to be that man...do you Rhys?"

 

Rhys felt his heart drop.

 

_How is this happening?_

Before Rhys got to speak up, Vasquez speaker went off,

 

"Yo Vasquez, you want this Vault Key or what?"

 

He switched it to his earpiece and turned himself back to his computer.

 

“August. That was quick. Yeah. You’re just gonna’ have to give me a bit of time- Wait…”

 

Rhys stared towards Vasquez as he scrambled on the computer. The words Vault Key rang in Rhys’ ears. Whatever Vasquez was up to, Rhys wanted to know what and how he could ruin the man. Vasquez tried to whisper but Rhys heard every word,

 

“Ten million?! Listen, if you want ten million dollars you’re gonna have to give me at least another hour or two.”

 

Vasquez turned away from Rhys and was pacing by the window. Rhys turned his ECHO eye on and scanned the computer, finding the exact file he would need. Before he had time to read it, Vasquez walked his way back. Rhys downloaded what he could as Vasquez finished his call.

 

“I’ll be there in a few hours. Okay. Say hi to your mom.”

 

Vasquez leaned on his desk, “Where was I again?”

 

Rhys smirked, “You were talking about my promotion?”

 

Vasquez chuckled to himself, “Oh right. Your…promotion. See Rhys, I respect you. I’ve always respected you. That’s why I’m making you assistant vice… janitor.”

 

Rhys jaw hit the floor, “What? N-no. You can’t-”

 

“I’m the boss now, Rhys. Now report to your garbage sector affective immediately. And don’t make me ask twice.”

 

Rhys stood, “Screw you.”

 

Vasquez raised an eyebrow and smiled. Out of nowhere, he punched Rhys, knocking him down to the ground. He bent down and picked Rhys up by the collar.

 

“You wanna’ run that by me again? Try it again and you’ll be exactly where Henderson is.”

 

He dropped Rhys and walked back to his chair, “Now go before I have to tell your department to clean you off my floor.”

 

Rhys was shaking. He rubbed his face and stood up, walking back to the door. His nose was definitely broken, or it felt like it was as blood rushed down his face. The door opened and Vaughn’s smiling face dropped at the sight of Rhys.

 

“What the hell happened?!”

 

“Vasquez.”

 

Rhys pushed by his friend and continued to walk towards his new department. He attempted to wipe his face, only smudging the blood further.

 

“Rhys wait. He can’t do this.”

 

“Oh he certainly can. Now with Henderson and all our work out the airlock.”

 

Vaughn paused, “What? Did he-”

 

Rhys saw a trash can and out of fury, kicked it over. An alarm went off and blared with a chipper feminine voice.

 

“Trash-man Rhys, please report to sector D451 for trash clean up. As that is what you do. Because that is your job now.”

 

Rhys continued to shake and wanted to punch anything he could. Yvette showed up from around the corner out of breath,

 

“I just heard.”

 

Rhys shouted, “Great. Join the club!”

 

Rhys tried to walk away but Yvette stood her ground,

 

“What happened? I thought you were getting a promotion?”

 

“Yeah, so did I. Until Henderson got shot out of an airlock and now Assquez has taken over!”

 

His shouts were echoing down the hall. Vaughn tried to calm Rhys down and placed his hand on his shoulder but he couldn’t take it. Vaughn sighed,

 

“Calm down bro. There’s gotta’ be another way. There always is!”

 

Yvette bit her lip and handed Rhys a napkin, “Maybe I can find a spot for you in my department?”

 

Rhys took it and wiped the blood, “Yeah. Sure. I’ll be in your department all right. CLEANING THE FLOORS.”

 

Rhys leaned against the wall and tried to calm his breathing. Vaughn and Yvette took a moment before crowding Rhys. Vaughn cleared the air,

 

“Come on man. After all we’ve been through, there’s gotta’ be something else. ANYTHING else.”

 

That’s when it hit Rhys.

 

“The vault key.”

 

Yvette double took with Vaughn, “The what?”

 

Rhys felt his smile spread, “We’ll steal his deal down on Pandora. He was talking to some guy about it. I downloaded the file.”

 

Vaughn smiled and practically jumped, “Oh Rhys this is perfect! So all we need to do is get down there.”

 

Rhys sighed, “Yeah, but we need ten million to even _get_ the key.”

 

“Hold please…. And done.”

 

Rhys and Yvette stared at Vaughn. “Not gonna’ lie that was impressive.”

 

Vaughn shrugged, “Ah, cashing checks is what I do at this place. Besides, ten million is pocket change.”

 

Rhys snorted, “Says the first ten million I lost and had to repay.”

 

Vaughn pushed up his glasses, “Just don’t lose the money this time.”

 

Yvette stepped between the two, “Okay. Whoa. First off, how are you even getting down there? And second of all, have either of you even BEEN to Pandora? This. Is. Suicide. Vasquez just murdered a guy. We should lay low-”

 

Rhys cut her off, “Vasquez HATES me and the second he gets a chance to off me, he will! Listen, we don’t have time to argue. We’re going down there. It can’t be worse then where I used to be.”

 

Yvette frowned, “Trust me. It is.”

 

Vaughn rolled his eyes, “Come ooonnn Yvette. Help us out. Pleaassseee.”

 

Yvette crossed her arms as Rhys and Vaughn had their hands in a praying form, begging Yvette. She rolled her eyes and was defeated, “Fine. But one simple car, a few supplies. You head down there, do the deal and come RIGHT BACK UP. You understand?”

 

Rhys and Vaughn hugged Yvette, jumping in a circle. Yvette pushed them off with a laugh. Rhys fixed his hair and cleared his throat.

 

“Now to put this plan into action. Meet us by the bay doors say in twenty? Vaughn buddy, you ready for an adventure?”

 

Vaughn nodded and clapped, “Oh bro, I was BORN ready.”

 

They parted from Yvette, gathered the money and waited at the bay doors. Rhys and Vaughn were leaving Helios. No matter how brief it would be, Rhys was actually going to miss it. But as long as Vasquez was the boss, Rhys wanted nowhere near the station. Yvette walked in with a screen and was preparing to Digistruct everything for the guys.

 

“So, what kind of car?”

 

Rhys smirked and put his arm around Yvette, “Oh, I know just the one.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOPEFULLY the jump wasn't too much. I was DYING to get to Tales and now here we are. 
> 
> Thanks again for reading. I wrote the first 11 chapters all at one time so things might slowly start to break and be different.
> 
> After this, chapters won't be coming out as frequently. Currently, I'm sitting here writing the next batch so we'll see where this goes!
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading if you are, I appreciate it. Even having the little kudos makes my day! :D


	13. Stealing the Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhys and Vaughn land on Pandora to find themselves lost in more ways than one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Introduction to new characters and to PANDORA WOOO! FINALLY jumping into Telltale's Borderlands story :D

With a crash and gears to go, Rhys and Vaughn landed on Pandora. The warm, humid air struck both of them causing a weird sensation to roll across Rhys’ arms.

 

“Feels oddly like home.”

 

Vaughn shrugged, “I wouldn’t say that. I’d say feels more like the outskirts of hell.”

 

Rhys laughed and flicked on the AC. His ECHO had the mark set for Prosperity Junction and it wasn’t too far from where they landed. As they drove towards the city, animals flew overhead causing Vaughn to gasp and awe. For a moment, Rhys was okay with Pandora. That was until they ran over a skag.

 

_Can’t get any worse than this can it?_

 

_Of course it can._

What Rhys and Vaughn expected to be a simple deal transaction, turned into a death match. Vaughn almost got hauled away by his arm, Rhys almost got shot and all they had was one Loader Bot against what looked like hundreds of bandits. When they finally found the World of Curiosities, things only proceeded to get worse. They found the entire building to contain anything that lived to be frozen because it was taxidermy. That included living humans. They stumbled upon a very dead and very stiff Professor Nakayama and found his ID drive still on him. Vaughn suggested he take it but Rhys never trusted Nakayama to begin with. With Vaughn pleading that it might come in handy, Rhys took it just in case. Shade, the creepy and semi-decomposing owner led Rhys and Vaughn to their goal. August and his girlfriend, Sasha were waiting with the key in hand and an already bad first impression of Vaughn and Rhys.

 

Shade yelled, “Well, I’ll leave you folks to it.”

 

He left Rhys and Vaughn alone with the couple. August sat at a table and waved over to Rhys.

 

“Might as well get this over with.”

 

Rhys nodded and he sat across from him, “So, show us the key. Then we’ll show you the money.”

 

August sighed and signaled Sasha, who carefully presented it on the table and took it away just as fast.

 

“Now the money, smart guy.”

 

Vaughn opened it and showed the green. “All ten million safe and ready for you.”

 

August smiled and went to shake Rhys’ hand when Sasha spoke up, taking the vault key further away.

 

“August, I don’t trust, whatever these two are trying to pull.”

 

Rhys hesitated, staring at Vaughn who shrugged, “We aren’t trying to pull anything. Just hand over the key and we’ll be on our wa-”

 

Sasha yelled at Rhys, “NO! Why should we trust Hyperion scum like you anyways? First, you don’t show up with Vasquez and secondly, this deal is WAAYY too smooth to be real. Are you kidding me August? These two are trying to screw us over somehow.”

 

August stood and tried to walk to Sasha, “Babe, calm down.”

 

Rhys stood and joined, “Yeah. Please, Sasha,” Rhys sighed before continuing, “We need that vault key okay? We need it because we are trying to screw over someone at Hyperion. And I mean that honestly. So please, we have the money. Take it. Vaughn?”

 

Vaughn nodded and left the ten million open on the table. Sasha looked between the money, Rhys and August before nodding.

 

“So you’re trying to screw over someone who works for you?”

 

Rhys nodded, “Yes. That’s exactly what we’re trying.”

 

She smirked, “Well, I’m sold.”

 

With that, she handed Rhys the key. Out of habit, Rhys opened the case and began scanning the key when his arm sparked and went out of control.

 

“WOAH.”

 

The key fell in slow motion as it hit the ground and shattered.

 

Vaughn shut the money case and nearly yelled, “IT’S FAKE?!”

 

August was either playing tricks or had no clue either, as he stared at Sasha, jaw to the floor.

 

“Sash? What the f-”

 

Rumbling came, the sound of tires and explosions followed soon after. Bursting into the meeting area was a bigger bandit, Bossanova, music blaring out of his chest and one of many vault hunters, Zero. Rhys and Vaughn ducked out of the way as bandits surrounded them. Zero took them out with ease but that’s when Rhys got pushed by Vaughn.

 

“Bro, the money!”

 

He noticed Sasha run for it and Vaughn did the same, both of them crashing into each other as the big Boss grabbed it.

 

“LOOKS LIKE TODAYS OUR LUCKY DAY BOYS.”

 

His booming laugh signaled the driver, and he drove off with the money. Sasha kicked up her feet and began running as another man threw a grenade.

 

“VAUGHN, RUN!”

 

They ran for it, barely making it out. They heard gunshots in the distance but kept running until they saw a caravan. Vaughn tried the door and fortunately, it was still opened. They rushed in and found the place filled with boxes, a couch and even a couple small mats. Vaughn saw the steering wheel and pointed towards it.

 

“Think you can hotwire it, man?”

 

Rhys smirked, “That’s what I’m good at.”

 

Before they could even figure out the mess of wires, they heard voices getting closer.

 

“Sasha I’m fine. Thanks, but I’m fine. Let’s just not have anymore surprises today.”

 

The door opened revealing Sasha and two others. Vaughn stuttered, “Rhys?”

 

The man turned to see the two trying to hotwire the car,

 

“Oh come on! Are you seriously trying to steal our caravan?”

 

Rhys put his hands up to surrender, “This-this isn’t what it looks like….okay it’s exactly what it looks like.”

 

Sasha grunted, “Oh please. Give us one good reason why we shouldn’t shoot you right now.”

 

A shot hit the van and Rhys shrugged, “There’s one reason.”

 

The man known as Felix, pushed Vaughn and Rhys aside and took the drivers seat.

 

August was shouting from outside, “YO. WE’RE NOT DONE HERE.”

 

“Fiona, the door!”

 

The one known as Fiona immediately held the door shut while August tried to bang through it.

 

“I DON’T LIKE WHEN PEOPLE LIE TO ME.”

 

Fiona was struggling to keep it closed, “FELIX NOW.”

 

He looked towards Rhys and Vaughn and sighed, “Let’s deal with you later.”

 

They drove off until all threats were lost in the dust.

 

Fiona looked back and smirked, “Looks like we lost them.”

 

Felix nodded in agreement until Sasha spoke, “So…what do we do with these two?”

 

Fiona aimed her gun at Vaughn and Rhys jumped in front of him, hands up to surrender.

 

“WOAH. Wow. Okay, there is no need for guns.”

 

Fiona smirked and readied the gun, “Sasha, grab this one and push him out the door.”

 

“Wait wha-”

 

Sasha grabbed Rhys, opened the door and tried to push him out. Vaughn was forced to sit and was held at gunpoint. Rhys screamed at the top of his lungs, trying to hold onto the caravan as it sped across the land.

 

“LISTEN! YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO THIS.”

 

Sasha tried to push Rhys out, “Can’t we just shoot them first?”

 

Fiona shook her head, “No. We save the bullet. Besides, they’ll die on impact.”

 

Rhys shouted, “CAN’T WE FIGURE SOMETHING OUT? P-PLEEAASSSEEE.”

 

That’s when Vaughn spoke up, “We can find the money! Yeah! We can find the money and you guys can have half of it! Sound like a deal?”

 

Rhys held on and closed his eyes, expecting to get pushed but just like that, he was pulled in and the door was closed. Sasha crossed her arms and looked at Fiona.

 

“I mean, we did try to _steal_ it in the first place.”

 

Rhys breathed heavily and got his breath back, giving Vaughn a thumbs up. Fiona poked her gun at Vaughn,

 

“So how exactly are we finding this money?”

 

Vaughn hesitated, “It-it has a tracker on it. However, it kind of got turned off in the scramble of our lives.”

 

Sasha grabbed Rhys again and almost attempted to push him out the door again when he protested.

 

“WAIT. WAAAIIT. I CAN TURN IT BACK ON.”

 

Felix stepped closer to Sasha and held her back, “And how exactly are you going to do that?”

 

Rhys sighed and turned his ECHO on to call Yvette. Panicked and unsure, she answered,

 

“Rhys? Oh my God. What’s happening down there? I thought you two died.”

 

“Yeah. Confidence Yvette. Uh, listen, is there any chance you can track down the money?”

 

Yvette was not pleased, “You LOST THE MONEY?! Rhys, I can’t, I’m sorry. People are scrambling up here to find you two and I’m being monitored. I’m sorry but I can’t help. Try to figure it out or both of you are going to be dead.”

 

Rhys swallowed the news as Yvette hung up. “Great.”

 

Sasha sighed, “Can we kill them _now_?”

 

Vaughn stood, “NO WAIT. Rhys, the drive. Nakayama’s drive! Use it man! We can log in from there and boom. We got our tracker back.”

 

Rhys had to admit, Vaughn was always quick to plan. He pulled out the drive and held it, immediately feeling scared. He never liked plugging himself into anything, let alone an unknown driver. Who knows what kind of creepy, weird and terrible things Nakayama had on it.

  
He looked at everyone, waiting to see his move. “Vaughn, are you sure this can work?”

 

He smiled and nodded, “One hundred percent man. A new drive gives you access, especially with him!”

 

Fiona poked her gun in his direction, “Well? You gonna’ do it or what? Time’s a wasting.”

 

Rhys held the drive inches from his port, feeling the electricity poke him.

 

“I hope this works.”

 

With one push, Rhys felt everything in his head burst into flames and then everything went black.

 

 

_“OOohhh Rhysie. I’m veerrryy disappointed in yoouu. Did you think you could follow in MY footsteps? Yoouuu are nothing more than another pitiful little code monkey. All swagger, no substance.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder whose voice that is
> 
> HUEGHUGEHGUEHEHEHEHEHE 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Clearly no one Handsome PFFFT no.


	14. Glitches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhys and Vaughn find themselves pairing up with the criminals. They put jobs aside and decide to work as a team to get through finding the money and quite possibly finding more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOP.
> 
> Let me tell you, I had SUCH a hard time trying to write this for myself more than for story purposes. It's already a part of the game (WITH SMALL changes for my own story) but it feels like I'm stealing...and I don't like that.
> 
> Again, I TRIED to make it my own. Hopefully I was able to re-create and do something like that.

Rhys awoke with a start and alone in the caravan. His head was buzzing with an oncoming headache and felt nauseous. He sat up, took the drive out of his head and realized the caravan was stopped. He checked the tracker and surprisingly, it was blinking to life.

 

_Guess Vaughn got it working again._

 

Rhys stood, legs unstable and hit the side of the chest. He balanced himself and looked around for his friend.

 

“Vaughn?”

 

No answer. He could hear rumbling coming from outside. Opening the door, he saw the night sky being cut off by spotlights up ahead. Waiting on the cliff side were the group of strangers and Vaughn. Rhys walked up and Fiona was the first to notice. She smirked at him and laughed.

 

“Whatever you planned on doing and hoping it would work? Yeah. It didn’t. Luckily, your friend here found a way to turn the tracker back on.”

 

The rest of them glanced at Rhys, Vaughn stepping forward, face pale and his glasses slightly askew.

 

“Hey man. You okay? You kind of just… passed out in there.”

 

Rhys rubbed his port, feeling a headache throbbing, “Yeah, I think. At least we found the money, right?”

 

Vaughn sighed but Felix shushed them, “Be quiet. There are bandits around.”

 

They walked closer to the cliff where they investigated their surroundings. Cars and bandits of all kinds surrounded the area. Rushing in was Zero. Rhys smirked and cheered them on in his head. Sasha broke the silence,

 

“So what is this place?”

 

Vaughn shrugged, “Looks like an abandon Atlas warehouse.”

 

Felix huffed, “Doesn’t look abandon to me.”

 

Fiona yawned, “Any idea how to get in?”

 

Vaughn smirked towards Rhys, “It’s all old Atlas tech man. You should be able to scan it.”

 

Rhys was already a step ahead of him. He was scanning instinctively to calm his nerves, but when his systems started glitching, he only felt more on edge.

 

“Okay?”

 

Fiona laughed, “Everything okay Robo?”

 

Rhys rolled his eyes, “Yeah. Fine. I think I found us a hatch. Goes all the way under the facility, however, it’s guarded.”

 

Felix stood, “Well, you found a way in. Now ladies, you know what to do. You get in and you get out. We’ve risked enough today. And remember, don’t trust _anyone._ ”

 

Rhys shuddered at those words. He’d once heard Jack say the same thing. The buzzing headache in his head was only getting worse but the conversation between the group distracted him.

 

Fiona looked at Felix, “Wait, you’re not coming?”

 

He shrugged, “Someone needs to be the getaway. Besides, my injured arm will only slow you down. Now get going. We don’t have all night.”

 

With that, Sasha, Fiona, Vaughn and Rhys worked together to get to the hatch. It was easier than any of them thought. Except for Rhys, who secretly had an entire “badass” plan set up. Once they reached the hatch, Rhys took it upon himself to go in first, followed by Sasha. As soon as they got into the hatch, it closed. Darkness surrounded them and they couldn’t hear the outside.

 

“Okay, Vaughn. Super uncool bro.”

 

“FIONA. COME ON! OPEN UP.”

 

No one answered and the hatch never opened. Sasha kicked Rhys’ hand, gaining an ow.

 

“This. THIS IS YOUR FAULT. OOhhh I see how it is. Plan to split us up. Take us out one at a time.”

 

Rhys ignored her and turned his hand flashlight on. He began climbing down the hatch as Sasha yelled her protests, but followed him further in.

 

“…THEN, HYPERION IS GOING TO SHOW UP AND WHAT? SHOOT US UNTIL WE ARE UNRECONGONIZABLE?!”

 

“Oh my God Sasha, no.”

 

He stepped down onto the solid ground and turned to find an exit.

 

“This way.”

 

“Whoa no. I am not taking orders from you. I’m the one with the gun.”

 

She pulled out a machine gun and pointed it at Rhys. He rolled his eyes and continued to walk forward.

 

“Hey, yeah. Walk…in THAT direction. Exactly as I said.”

 

“Uh, yeah. Cool Sasha.”

 

They continued walking until they reached an area where a group of bandits were on a lift to the surface. Sasha aimed her gun but Rhys noticed something,

 

“No. Not now.”

 

Sasha pushed Rhys aside, “Oh come on-”

 

He pointed, “Seriously, look!”

 

There were two guards leftover, keeping guard of the area. Sasha smirked and put her gun away.

 

“Okay Rhys. Let’s see how good you are. I’ll take out the guard on the left. You do Mr. Bandit on the right. Sound good?”

 

Before Rhys could object, Sasha hurried to the bandit. She knocked him out with ease and stealth. Rhys gave her a thumbs up and made his way to the last bandit.

 

_Here goes._

He hopped onto the bandit and tried to strangle him, but the bandit stood and laughed,

 

“Frank, is that you?”

 

“No. This is your…ah. Doom.”

 

Sasha yelled from the other side, “Wow. Real nice Rhys. Want help?”

 

The bandit laughed, “No no. Give the guy a chance.”

 

Rhys struggled until the bandit knocked him off. He fell onto something hard and realized he had almost forgotten the stun baton he packed. The bandit was fast and grabbed it out of Rhys’ arms.

 

“Nice try fella. But this is mine now.”

 

The bandit stared blankly at the baton, “Uh, now to get this thing on.”

 

Rhys smirked and pushed the red ‘on’ button that was facing the opposite way. The bandit got knocked back, throwing the baton and landing perfectly in Rhys’ grasp.

 

“OH COME ON! DON’T TELL ME THAT WASN’T AWESOME!”

 

Sasha rolled her eyes and reluctantly gave Rhys a thumbs up. They walked down the area, noticing caged Skags around. Rhys shivered and didn’t want to know why they were keeping them around. They managed to find the lifts controls but they were locked. Sasha started banging the console but Rhys grabbed her arms,

 

“WOW. Be careful! Might set off alarms. Or worse, let the skag’s loose”

 

Sasha grabbed her gun and aimed it at Rhys again, “OH SORRY. Then you fix it.”

 

Rhys smirked and hacked into the controls. Before he knew it, the lift began booting up again. Sasha was staring at the baton and lowered her gun.

 

“Woah. That’s the JR4000. Do you mind… letting me try it?”

 

Rhys cocked his eye at her, “You promise to give it back?”

 

She perked up, “Yes!”

 

“Pinky promise?”

 

She held out her pinky, “Yesss!”

 

He handed it to her and she took it, giggling and playing around with it like a new toy. Out of the corner of his eyes, Rhys watched her and couldn’t help hold back his smile.

 

_Cute._

When she handed it back to him, Rhys smirked at her.

 

“You know, we make a pretty good team.”

 

She snorted, “Yeah, I guess. But juusssttt in case.”

 

Again, she aimed the gun towards Rhys. She winked at him as the platform began resetting.

 

Rhys sighed, “Seriously? I thought we were passed this.”

 

Sasha frowned, “Passed this? Are you kidding? Do you even _know_ what Hyperion means to us on Pandora? All that suffering, pain and havoc you all caused? And even if you weren’t directly involved, you were still part of it. You contributed.”

 

Rhys sighed. Sasha was more right than Rhys would admit. Rhys stared at Sasha and shook his head.

 

“Trust me. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows up there either. The shit I had to do to get where I was… HA. What I’d give to never have even ended up with Hyperion.”

 

“Oh, feeling the guilt of Hyperion? Good.”

 

Rhys rolled his eyes and tried to make the lift work. The small buzzing was making its way back to his head and the headache became worse. Finally, he got the lift into motion and it began working back down towards them. They got quiet for only a moment before Sasha spoke up again.

 

“What’s it like?”

 

Shocked, Rhys looked at her, no longer holding the gun towards him. “What?”

 

“Up there. On that…station? What’s it called?”

 

“Helios.”

 

“Yeah, Helios. What’s it like? Being a part of a corporation that’s blood thirsty, crazy, power hungry, terrible warmongers, constantly reaping all the benefits you get from destroying Pandora and essentially being the most feared company in the entire universe. Is it fun? Is it something you like?”

 

Rhys tried to will the lift faster as it got closer to their level.

 

“Trust me, it’s not. Look, all I’ve ever known is Atlas and Hyperion. Two companies but almost one in the same. Blood thirsty? Not exactly. But power hungry? Definitely. All I ever dreamed of doing was being a leader but once I got thrown to the company, I wanted nothing more than to leave, but there was no saying no to Hyperion. Some of us up there actually gave a damn about the planet, tried to slip in help where we could but it wasn’t that easy when money deals were always involved.”

 

As the lift made it, Rhys and Sasha stepped on.

 

Sasha looked around, “Why isn’t it moving?”

 

“Because I don’t have the proper clearances. I just gotta’ hack into the commands and we are good.”

 

Rhys turned his robotics on but they continued to glitch like before. The headache was pounding at this point.

 

“The hell…”

 

Sasha shifted and stared at Rhys, “Everything okay?”

 

“Yeah…just. System is all…weird.”

 

Rhys attempted to select one of the options, causing all of the skag cages to drop and open.”

 

“Uh Rhys?”

 

“Sorry! The buttons are all glitched out, I can’t read them properly. Just, shoot and stay out of their way.”

 

Sasha rolled her eyes and shot at the skags, “Oh great. Hurry up.”

 

Rhys hit the next button and music began filling the area. Sasha scuffed, “Oh perfect. Now when we die, we’ll have a nice soundtrack to our death.”

 

“Hold on. I almost got this.”

 

_“Do yeah champ? Do yeah almost got it?”_

 

Rhys shook his head at the sound, “Yeah, I do!”

 

Sasha paused, “Do what?”

 

Rhys realized Sasha didn’t speak. And shook his head again. Something wasn’t sitting right but he had other matters at hand. Literally.

 

Rhys hit the last button and the lift began moving up. “YES!”

 

Sasha kept shooting the skags that were trying to find their way up to them. The other voice screamed into Rhys’ head, scaring him and causing his head to pound.

_“Look at you! A real winner!”_

 

_That voice…_

Rhys noticed a skag approach from behind Sasha, he pointed and she aimed but no bullets exited.

 

“Shoot. SHOOT!”

 

The skag jumped causing the two of them to scream, when the skag landed in mid air, blood spewing out of it. A blue sword came into focus as Zero flashed within view. The skag fell with a splat as Zero turned and approached the two.

 

“Could you let me know/if you see a Gortys core/ I really need it.”

 

Rhys stared at Zero, “Uh… Sure. We’ll let you know. Just. Uh… You are really awesome. Just wanted you to know that.”

 

Zero showed a heart on his mask as they continued to ascend. Sasha gave Rhys a hard glace and shifted on her feet. Everything went quiet and Rhys noticed his head no longer hurt. He would figure out what was going on with his cybernetics later but for now, he had a mission on his mind. Finding Vaughn and Fiona and getting that cash back.

 

As the light blinded them, they found themselves in the middle of a racing field. Car engines echoed loud all around them as Bossanova talked about the death race and the prize, being the briefcase of money.

 

_Wait._

Shielding himself with the case, Zero shot Bossanova and caused the case to fall down towards them. Zero ran off and began fighting Bossanova while Rhys pointed towards the case but a bandit flew down on a motorcycle and grabbed it before he could.

 

“Great.”

 

Sasha laughed, “Oh yeah. We are so dead.”

 

Rhys saw the caravan racing in the distance and pointed, “Look.”

 

Sasha saw and immediately smiled, “At least we know Felix has got our backs…Oh and great. Your friend dragged my SISTER INTO THE RACE. GREEAAATT. Hey wait, is that… RHYS!”

 

Rhys turned around and the bandit holding the case came charging right at them. Sasha took a swing with the baton and sent the bandit and motorcycle flying. Another group of bandits ran out, grabbing the case and shot in Rhys’ and Sasha’s direction. Sasha’s gun was reloaded and firing away. Rhys tried to scan but nothing was working for him.

 

“Come ON. There’s gotta’ be something.”

 

Rhys ECHO went off and he almost cheered, “YES! That’s gotta’ be Yvette. We can get another Loader Bot!”

 

Rhys opened his ECHO, “Yvette, thank God-”

 

“OH. Professor Nakayama, you sound different.”

 

Rhys didn’t hear Yvette. He looked and saw the one person he was trying to avoid.

 

“Vasquez.”

 

Sasha looked over, “Is that your boss?”

 

Rhys shook his head, “Listen, we don’t have time for thi-”

 

Vasquez cut him off, “Then let me make this quick. You screwed me Rhys. I’ll admit that, good job. But let’s make a deal. You bring that money back and I’ll give you your old job back. What do you say? Oh, only one thing. We’re gonna’ have to put the whole thing on Vaughn.”

 

Rhys stared at Vasquez and bit his lip, “And why the hell would I do that?”

 

Sasha killed a bandit inches from Rhys, “GET OFF THE PHONE RHYS.”

 

Rhys looked back to Vasquez who continued on, “Why Rhys? Because the company is missing some money. Money I need, money I don’t have and money you have. So you bring it back safe and sound and you know what, we can split it fifty-fifty. Vaughn takes the fall and we are… good.”

 

He didn’t believe a word Vasquez was saying and there was no way he would turn Vaughn over. Without another word, Rhys hung up the call. Sasha smirked,

 

“Smooth move. Now, get your ass up and let’s move!”

 

Rhys followed Sasha towards one of the bandit’s holding the case. He ran towards a big gate, which he immediately turned around from and was being chased down badass skag. The bandit didn’t even have a chance as the skag took a bit out of him and held on. Rhys tried to get the bandit out but only tore the guy apart, making Rhys want to puke. The skag stared at Rhys and he stared back, being growled at. They ran from the skag and dodged behind a few crates. Zero came flying down and Bossanova caused a shockwave, pushing everyone aside. Rhys was stuck between the skag and himself. Zero’s blade fell only inches from him. With a split second decision, Rhys grabbed the blade and used it to cut through the on coming skag, splitting it down the middle. The blood and guts sprayed onto Rhys as the bandit and case came flying out of it. Sasha came running over,

 

“Nice one man! Now where’s the case?”

 

She saw it and went to approach it but Zero blocked her way as they picked up their blade. Bossanova caused another shockwave and the case was long gone, entering and landing somewhere within the death race. As the battle continued between the two, all Rhys and Sasha could do was watch the death race and hope that somehow, Fiona and Vaughn would be okay and the case would be in their possession.

 

 

It was like they were watching everything in slow motion. Explosions, crashes and screams echoed around the arena and somehow Fiona and Vaughn stayed alive. Fiona was strong and knew she’d be able to get at the case, what she wasn’t expecting was the entire truck to get lifted and pulled upwards, causing the case to fly away. Fiona followed it and Felix caught it, pulling back into the caravan. Without a second thought, Fiona was able to jump on and entered the caravan. What happened next, no one was expecting. The caravan ended up flipping towards the edge of the arena, trying to escape but the wheels couldn’t grip properly, that’s when Sasha began shouting, running towards the scene.

 

“FELIX. What the hell is happening? Oh God, FIONA!”

 

Rhys stayed close by. Fiona was reaching out for Felix as he pushed the caravan back to the track, leaving Fiona yelling something. For a second, Rhys saw the case open, knowing what was inside. They both saw Felix throw the case into the air and with that, it exploded. He had detonated the bomb, with all the money inside. The bits and pieces flew around them. Rhys’ heart practically dropped,

 

“No, no. NO!”

 

Rhys didn’t have time to mourn as Bossanova came crashing down only a few feet away from Rhys. Zero didn’t hesitate and stabbed Bossanova. With a trick up his sleeve, he pulled his platform on top of both of them. Once the dust faded, Rhys stared at an impaled Zero. Zero’s head twisted to Rhys, breathing perfectly fine.

 

“How?”

 

Zero’s figure flickered and their real self appeared. As they left, they began speaking into their ECHO to someone else, as Rhys heard the sound of multiple footsteps approach him. Vaughn was the first to reach Rhys. They smiled at each other and Rhys was just happy he was alive. Out of nowhere, Sasha and Fiona rushed by.

 

“Sasha, about what happened with Felix-”

 

Sasha shoved Fiona off, “Just stop, okay?”

 

She walked off leaving Fiona. Vaughn cleared his throat and whispered to Rhys,

 

“They uh… had a falling out with Felix. He tried to take the money for himself but as you saw, the bomb detonated and he got away.”

 

Fiona began running down her mental list out loud, “So. We have no actual vault key, no money, unless you want to tape the burnt pieces together. We have nothing.”

 

Rhys felt sick and Vaughn looked defeated. Vaughn spat out,

 

“We have nothing. I mean, what do we even do now?”

 

Sasha began, “You search everything. Take what seems valuable and you sell it.”

 

Vaughn scuffed, “Yeah but nothing worth ten million dollars-”

 

“You got any other ideas?”

 

Vaughn went quiet. Rhys grabbed his mechanical arm and sighed.

 

Fiona practically laughed in their faces, “Well, you came to Pandora. Now you get to live, eat and breathe like us.”

 

They split up and all began picking up items. Sasha found a bit of cash on a few people, some trash and even a new pistol, but it was busted. Fiona found her hat, a new shield and some broken glass which she mistakened for diamonds. Vaughn found a shield and nearly began crying, while Rhys couldn’t take in what just happened.

 

“This junk isn’t worth anything-”

 

Sasha cut Rhys off by throwing the pistol at him, “This may be busted but find the right dealer and it’s a hundred bucks.”

 

“Great, get a hundred thousand more and we’ll be set.”

 

Out of nowhere, Rhys’ Loader Bot returned, shaking the area and causing the ground around Rhys to collapse.

 

“RHYS!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Rhys. Always banging his head. NEXT CHAPTER reveals new and exciting things....
> 
> mwahahahaha


	15. Pitfalls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhys, Vaughn and their gang fall into something that could lead them to a vault.
> 
> Actually getting to the next steps of figuring everything out is a different story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rhys falls and now the interesting parts :3

Rhys took a hard fall against a cool floor, banging his head hard and briefly lost his vision. His ECHO eye flickered on as Rhys adjusted his head and slowly sat up.

 

Vaughn shouted from above, “RHYS? ARE YOU OKAY?”

 

He looked around, stood up and walked towards the hole he fell through.

 

“I’m fine. Totally fine.”

 

Rhys could see everyone. Sasha poked her head in, “Good. Cause it doesn’t look like there’s a safe way down to you. See if you can find anything to get you out.”

 

He sighed and decided that’s all he COULD do. Vaughn cleared his throat,

 

“What’s even down there?”

 

Rhys hadn’t really looked. It looked like an underground lab of some sort, or even an office. He couldn’t be sure.

 

“There’s a whole bunch of old Atlas tech, a few weapons, may-”

 

Sasha perked up, “Weapons?!”

 

Without any difficulty at all, Sasha popped down and pushed one of the buttons on the wall, revealing a new, silver weapon. She was practically drooling on it.

 

“Is it worth anything?”

 

Sasha almost didn’t hear Rhys, “Uh yeah. Definitely.”

 

The others followed Sasha and gathered in the space. Vaughn pushed another button, “OH DUDE. IT’S A RETRO ATLASIO! THESE THINGS DON’T EVEN EXSIST YET!”

 

“Woah calm down. We aren’t here for gadgets. Think we can sell that for something…more?”

 

Vaughn adjusted his glasses, “Oh you know we can. Hand it over to the right collector and they’ll practically throw money our way!”

 

As Fiona joined Rhys, they stared at the last remaining button. Rhys looked to Fiona and nudged his head, “You can do the honors.”

 

She smirked, “It’s the last one. I don’t see why we both can’t reveal it.”

 

“You know, I was hoping you’d say something like that.”

 

They both moved their hands on the button and the entire office shoot. Behind them, a separate compartment opened, revealing two mechanical pieces. Rhys’ jaw hit the floor and Fiona laughed,

 

“Those look-”

 

“Incredibly valuable? Yeah. Dibs the bigger piece!”

 

They picked up the pieces and right away noticed that it was like two separate pieces meant to go together.

 

Vaughn and Sasha walked over and were confused, “What is it?”

 

Rhys shrugged, “No idea.”

 

Fiona gently placed hers above Rhys and like a magnet, they pulled and connected. They gathered around as the now single piece floated in air, flickering to life and revealing a holographic GP. It expanded to a holographic form of Pandora, leading them to what appeared to be a vault. Fiona spoke up first,

 

“Is that… a map?”

 

_“So she’s the brain of the outfit.”_

_That voice again…._

_“Is that…a map? I-I-I don’t know, it’s sooo confusing.”_

_No, it can’t be._

Rhys looked around, unable to find the source of the voice. He realized no one else was reacting and he was the only one hearing it. The voice became whole and Rhys’ stomach nearly fell at the realization of _whose_ voice it was.

 

_“This, ladies and gentlemen, is the Gortys Project…and it’s gonna’ lead us to a vault….”_

Rhys turned slowly as the voice continued,

 

_“And then I’ll probably kill you.”_

 

Rhys turned to see a blue hologram and full figure of the man himself. Handsome Jack.

 

He jumped and nearly screamed,

 

“ARH!”

 

Everyone looked at Rhys and panicked. Fiona jumped next to Rhys,

“Arh what?”

 

Rhys stared at Jack as Jack placed his holographic hand on his shoulder.

 

“Rhysie! It’s been awhile. What’s happenin’?”

 

“I-Uh.”

 

Rhys mind didn’t know how to feel, act or think. Let alone if he believed what he was seeing was actually real. Jack stared at Rhys briefly and sighed, walking off towards another part of the office,

 

“You know, teaming up with bandits? Vault Hunters? Last thing I’d think you’d be doing and MAN is that low. Especially with me wanting them all dead. Come on kitten, times a wastin’.”

 

Vaughn poked Rhys in the side, “Everything okay buddy?”

 

To them, it looked like Rhys was losing his mind. He was staring into nothingness, panicking and practically talking to himself. Sasha wasn’t paying attention and was trying to get the map to ‘enhance’ while Fiona and Vaughn tried to get Rhys’ attention. Jack walked to the highest part of the office, looking around,

 

“Man. It’s like Atlas was _begging_ us to take this!”

 

Slowly, Rhys followed Jack. He tried to form some sort of sense into anything but nothing came out of his mouth. Jack, however, had plenty to say.

 

“Well? Come on, cupcake! What’s the hold up?”

 

Rhys hesitated but Jack had no patience.

 

“I said… GET OVER HERE.”

 

Rhys ran at Jack as he continued to ramble on,

 

“I know, you love me kitten, but now you gotta’ pay extra close attention. We follow the Gortys project right into… well you already figured that out. A vault dumbo! Now listen-“

 

Rhys finally got his breath back with his mind racing to only one thing, “Jack. How… are you here?”

 

Jack crossed his arms and scuffed, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

Rhys sighed and rubbed his head, “What’s the last thing you remember?”

 

Jack smirked and walked closer to Rhys, nearly colliding with him, “Getting impatient Rhysie. Whatever you gotta’ say, spit it out.”

 

Rhys looked away from Jack and held his flesh hand in his mechanical one. His hand was shaking slightly and he cringed. Part of him was bouncing off the walls seeing the man, Handsome Jack again, but after everything that had happened, having Jack back was confusing to say the least. Rhys wasn’t even sure it was real.

 

_Is it real?_

“Jack…do you remember anything else?”

 

Jack no longer smiled, “Seriously kiddo, you askin’ me all this…What Rhys? It’s like you’re looking at a ghost right now.”

 

Rhys swallowed the lump that formed in his mouth and did his best to tell Jack the inevitable truth.

 

“Well. Jack uh. You see- I’ve never had to do this before but you’re… actually a ghost. Literally. You can’t be here because you…died. You’re dead.”

 

Jack was nearly growling. He reached out his hand and tried to grab Rhys’ neck, causing Rhys to scream. A yell of protest from Fiona came from below,

 

“What the hell was that Rhys? Ahh. Let’s try this again.”

 

Thankfully for Rhys, Jack’s hand fazed through him sending chills down his spine.

 

“This is…weird. Come here Rhysie. It’ll be quick.”

 

Rhys continued to back up as Jack tried to grab him, but every movement he made went right through Rhys. Rhys attempted to shoo him away but nothing worked for him. Tears he didn’t know he had were forming in Rhys’ eyes,

 

“I’m seriously Jack! You died down there with that vault! The vault hunters won and that was it!”

 

Jack chuckled to himself but he wasn’t smiling, “No no no no. You’re wrong. Handsome Jack… doesn’t die. NO ONE kills Handsome Jack.”

 

Rhys rubbed his face and held on for as long as he could, “I’m sorry Jack.”

 

Jack looked away from Rhys but smiled and laughed, trying to grab Rhys again,

 

“Just come here, it’ll be fine.”

 

Rhys backed up until he couldn’t anymore. He bumped into a fence, lost his footing and fell backwards, landing hard and losing his sight. Vaughn was by him shaking his shoulder.

 

“Bro! You okay?”

 

Rhys opened his eyes and felt another headache. He sat up, rubbed his eyes and looked back to where Jack was standing but he was no longer there. Just like that, he was gone. Rhys put his hand on Vaughn’s shoulder,

 

“I don’t know anymore. Haaaa. I just saw Handsome Jack.”

 

Vaughn smirked and shook his head, “Really bumped your head, didn’t you? Come on.”

 

Vaughn helped Rhys stand and that’s when Sasha spoke up,

 

“Uh guys?

 

Sasha was pointing towards the hole in the ceiling and that’s when they saw,

 

“Moonshots.”

 

Sasha laughed, “MOONSHOTS? REALLY?! I thought you worked for them.”

 

Rhys scuffed, “Not anymore.”

 

Fiona and Rhys picked up their ‘treasure’ while Loader Bot helped the group back up to the surface. They ran into the caravan and blasted off towards Hollow Point. Rhys took the wheel and avoided the moonshots has best as he could but they ran into a Rakkhive. Fiona and Sasha started firing at them while Vaughn continued to swing a frying pan around. The caravan boost was almost ready as Rhys hovered his hand above it.

 

“Come on. COME ONNN!”

 

A moonshot hit the back of the caravan, tearing the back apart. He heard screams and the Rakk Hive jump over the caravan. As if planned all along. Rhys used the boost and caused the moonshot to hit the Rakk Hive directly. He stood in victory but only lost his footing, flung out of the caravan and hit Vaughn on the way. Fiona tried to grab one of them but missed. Rhys and Vaughn fell out of the caravan, hitting the dirt and bouncing along the ground. With that, they were separated from the others and knocked out cold.

 

 

_Rhysssiieeeee. RHYYSSSSSSS._

“HEY RHYS!”

 

Rhys yelped and almost hit Vaughn. He felt his sides ache and his head was throbbing.

 

“Sorry. Ahh. Where are we?”

 

Vaughn laughed, “You tell me.”

 

Vaughn helped Rhys up and they walked towards some of the other caravan debris that had followed them out. Rhys leaned against a rock and rubbed his head. Vaughn had a cut on his cheek and Rhys pointed at him,

 

“You okay, bro?”

 

Vaughn frowned and shrugged, “I don’t know. I mean, one minute we’re completely safe up on Helios and the next we’re working with bandits and being chased down by maniacs and a Rakk Hive. Am I fine?!”

 

Rhys winced at Vaughn’s tone but immediately cut it short as Vaughn began laughing,

 

“AM I FINE?! HA. BRO. I FEEL ALIVE! HAHAHAHA. THIS IS AMAZING.”

 

Rhys couldn’t help but smile, “Glad to hear buddy. But one thing, and I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but we gotta’ find our way back to Fiona and Sasha.”

 

The voice returned, “Oh yeah. Cause you know, trusting maniacs is EXACLY how I died in the first place…”

 

 

Rhys jumped and screamed as Jack came into view, standing only feet away from Rhys.

 

“Fuck Jack!”

 

Jack smirked and winked, “Language. But maybe another time kitten.”

 

Vaughn turned to his buddy, eyebrow cocked, “Jack?”

 

Rhys sighed and looked between Vaughn and the blue Jack, “Remember when I said I saw Jack?”

 

Vaughn nodded, still not understanding, “Yeah. After you bashed your head?”

 

Rhys sighed and heard Jack chuckle, “You know Rhysie, he’s gonna’ think your nuts.”

 

Rhys ignored the comment and continued, “It was before than bro. And I know it sounds crazy but… Jack’s here.” He waved at the spot Jack stood, “I can hear and see him perfectly.”

 

Vaughn stared at Rhys and didn’t move. Rhys looked to his friend who almost appeared to not be breathing. He shrugged and crossed his arms,

 

“Well Vaughn?”

 

Vaughn smirked and shook his head, “I think you may be dehydrated. Because I am. And we almost died back there so-”

 

Jack laughed, “Told yeah.”

 

Rhys stood and got closer to Vaughn, “I’m being serious man! Please, you have to believe me. I-I don’t know bro. After installing Nakayama’s drive, my whole systems been glitched and now this? It can’t be a coincidence!”

 

Vaughn bit his lip as Jack walked into view again, “Wait, Naka…Nakayama. Why does that sound familiar?”

 

Rhys rolled his eyes and stared at his buddy. He put his arm behind his back and smirked up to Rhys.

 

“Okay, prove it. Tell Jack to look at my fingers. How many am I holding up?”

 

Jack walked behind him and squirmed at the sight, “I mean, his ass is a bit small but”

 

“Jack, fingers. How many?”

 

Hearing Rhys’ irritation, Jack chuckled to himself, “Three.”

 

“Three Vaughn. Your holding up three fingers.”

 

He frowned, “Lucky… guess.”

 

Rhys ran his hand threw his hair, “Vaughn please, I’m being serious man. He’s right here.”

 

Vaughn crossed his arms, “Okay. Weird. I mean, What are the chances that the one guy who was basically in love with the man ends up with him in his head?”

 

Rhys blushed and Jack cocked his eyes smirking. Rhys tried to avoid Jack’s eyes, “I-I wouldn’t say LOVED, I mean, I admired the guy-”

 

Vaughn laughed, “You slept with the guy.”

 

Jack’s smile became wider, “Yeah Rhysie. We’re bed buddies.”

 

Rhys felt his entire face burn, “BESIDES THAT-”

 

Vaughn cut him off, “I mean, don’t you find it a bit weird that we just so happen to find Nakayama and his drive and YOU happen to be the one to gain Jack. Doesn’t it seem a bit…”

 

Jack huffed, “Weird.”

 

Rhys rolled his eyes, “Regardless of how we-I ended up with him. How do we get him out?”

 

Jack’s eyes went wide, “Well now that’s a thought. WAIT. OHHH NAKAYAMA! He was that weirdo science guy who was obsessed with me. NOW it makes sense. HA. His plans worked.”

 

Rhys stopped and looked into Jack, “Wait, what plans?”

 

Before Rhys could ask, his ECHO went off, scaring the group of them. Vaughn ran around the rock,

 

“I gotta’ pee!”

 

Reluctantly, Rhys picked it up and he couldn’t believe his eyes,

 

“Yvette?”

 

She smiled wide and nearly screamed when she saw Rhys, “OH THANK GOD! I thought you two were dead!”

 

Rhys smirked, “It’s good to see you too.”

 

Vaughn yelled over, “It’s Yvette?! Tell her to send down supplies! I’m starving!”

 

Rhys nodded, “Vaughn said if you can, send down supplies.”

 

Yvette typed, “I’ll do my best. I was able to get them to stop shooting you guys down but only for now. Vasquez is determined. Whatever you guys are doing, you should stop and just head back.”

 

Rhys felt his stomach grumble, “Not to be rude Yvette, but I’m pretty sure if we step up on that station, we’ll get shot down. Plus, we’ve got a plan.”

 

Yvette looked strained, “Look, I’ve got a tracker on you and I’ll send down supplies as soon as I can but just try not to get yourselves killed. Whatever your plan is better be worth more than the ten million you lost.”

 

Rhys frowned and nodded, “We understand. Just…stay safe Yvette.”

 

“You too Rhys.”

 

With that, she was gone. Rhys sighed as Vaughn came back into view without his shirt on and instead wrapped on his head. Jack stared laughing,

 

“WOAH abs! That was unexpected! HA.”

 

Jack started putting his hands towards Vaughn but as per the new usual, Jack’s hands slid through. For the first time, Jack sighed and looked at his hands,

 

“I hate this.”

 

Rhys looked at Vaughn and smirked, “Been workin’ out?”

 

Vaughn smiled and put his hands on his hips, “Guess you could say that. Just trying to keep myself in shape.”

 

They stood in silence for a bit as Jack continued to click his tongue. Rhys closed his eyes and tried to ignore the noise.

 

“So what now?”

 

Rhys opened his eyes to Vaughn with arms crossed, “I guess we head back to the girls. We know they’re at Hollow Point.”

 

Vaughn sighed, “Yeah but what about after that? Are we actually going after whatever this vault is or-”

 

Rhys couldn’t hear the rest of Vaughn’s statement as Jack spoke, “Definitely going after the Vault. Doubt you two will even MAKE it that far, but considering I’m in YOUR head, I’ve got no other choice.”

 

Rhys rubbed his arms, “Guess we’ll see.”

 

With that, they began walking towards Hollow Point. It barely came into view when Rhys and Vaughn heard a Moonshot fire. They flinched, preparing for it, but Rhys smiled.

 

“That’s gotta’ be the supplies.”

 

Jack started laughing hysterically, “Oh, that’s it alright. INCOMING!”

 

Rhys face dropped, “It’s headed right for us….”

 

Vaughn started running, “IT’S HEADED RIGHT FOR US!”

 

Rhys barely missed the shot and a car pulled out, skidding to halt just inches away from them. The car’s windows rolled down and to their surprise, Vasquez face came into view. Jack was still laughing as Vasquez stepped out with a gun and smirked at Vaughn and Rhys.

 

“Well, look what we got here. A liar AND a stealer.”

 

Rhys stood in front of Vaughn, “How’d you find us?”

 

Vasquez pointed the gun at him, “I’ll ask the questions. Listen, you put me in a tight spot and unfortunately, you aren’t getting out of this alive. Our deals off.”

 

Rhys jaw fell, “I didn’t make-”

 

Vaughn cut him off, “YEAH IT’S OFF. And to think I could trust you.”

 

Rhys stared at his friend, “Vaughn?”

 

Vaughn looked at Rhys and immediately closed his mouth. Jack’s face went right into Vaughns,

 

“Told yeah Rhysie. Can’t trust ANYONE.”

 

Vasquez sighed, “I’ve got shovels in the trunk. Start digging your grave. Except you, Rhys. Company wants your head. Didn’t specify dead or alive so…”

 

Vasquez brought his gun up to Rhys’ head and smacked him hard, making him fall. He walked over to the trunk and pulled out two shovels, throwing one to Vaughn and one on the ground with Rhys.

 

“Well ladies, start digging.”

 

Vaughn didn’t hesitate and began pushing in the dirt. Rhys spit up blood and slowly got up.

 

_You’re kidding me._

He grabbed his shovel and didn’t hesitate throwing it Vasquez’s way. He dodged it and it smashed in one of the car windows. Rhys huffed,

 

“I honestly meant that to hit you.”

 

Vasquez grinned and aimed the gun at Rhys, “Guess dead it is.”

 

The gun loaded, powered up but immediately shut down. Rhys folded his arms,

 

“Sure you know how to work that thing.”

 

Vasquez looked over the gun, “Yeah. Of-Of course I do. Just wanna’ get the maximum power out of it.”

 

As he searched the gun, Rhys looked over at Vaughn,

 

“How could you man? I trusted you!”

 

Vaughn whisper yelled at him, “I swear man, I wasn’t going to keep the deal. I did it just to get them off our backs! It was nothing bro, I swear!”

 

Jack crossed his arms and stood in front of Rhys, “Listen cupcake, as much as I’d love to see you two argue, I can’t let you two die. Especially with me in you. Well, not like that. Not that I’d LOVE that. Anyways, I need permission to update your subsystems. It’ll allow you to hack the car and that gun. Maybe add a little flare to our situation, know what I’m sayin’?”

 

Rhys looked at Jack and shrugged, “Honestly, it’s all we got. Do it.”

 

Jack smirked and put his finger on Rhys’ port, sending sparks into his head, causing Rhys to jump.

 

“Watch it, Jack! That kind of hurt.”

 

Jack shrugged, “I did say it would add FLARE.”

 

Rhys opened his systems and found that he could now hack into the systems. He wanted to blow the gun up in Vasquez’s face but he thought of a better idea. He turned the car on, had it blast music and drive around to come back and run over Vasquez. Jack hollered loud,

 

“MAN! Did you see him FLY?! HAAA RHYSIE THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL!”

 

Vaughn dropped his shovel, “RUN!”

 

They began running away from Vasquez, who awoke only seconds later from the hit and began chasing them with the car. Just when Rhys thought it was a victory short lived, Loader Bot flew to them and picked them up, bringing them far from danger. They heard Vasquez shout to the skies but for now, they were safe. Rhys felt lightheaded and closed his eyes to feel the wind. That’s when he heard Vaughn sigh loudly,

 

“I meant what I said bro. That deal? It wasn’t for real bro. I did it to get them off of us. I swear. I would never EVER betray you man. After all this? Why would I?”

 

Rhys turned his ECHO on and off to calm himself but found his hands were shaking. He realized he hadn’t taken his medication in over a day and it was already taking its toll. Rhys smirked towards Vaughn,

 

“Next time, give me a heads up.”

 

Vaughn smiled and brought his fist up towards Rhys, “We’re bros, bro.”

 

Rhys and Vaughn bro-fisted, “Love you bro.”

 

“Now kiss.”

 

Rhys looked over Vaughn’s shoulder to see Jack smirking.

 

“Very funny, Jack.”

 

Vaughn looked to where Rhys was staring and saw nothing, “He’s still here?”

 

Rhys sighed, “Guess so.”

 

Jack crossed his arms, “Well thanks. That didn’t sound very nice.”

 

Rhys smirked and rubbed his hands, “So, where to Vaughn?”

 

Vaughn patted Loader Bot, “Could yeah take us to Hollow Point LB?”

 

Rhys squinted his eyes at Vaughn, “LB?”

 

Vaughn shrugged and smiled, “Sounds like a chill nickname. That cool with you LB?”

 

Loader Bot spoke as cheerfully as they could, “AFFIRMATIVE. TO HOLLOW POINT. BRO.”

 

They turned and took off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUESS WHO'S BACK?! BACK AGAIN?! JACK IS BACK. TELL YO FRIENDS.
> 
>  
> 
> Jack's back and I know eventually it gets terrible but God dang it I will enjoy this now!


	16. In with the Old

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When things finally start working out, the gang find themselves trapped with their backs against a wall.
> 
> Do they follow through or only danger themselves further?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter covers a LOT in a short time. Not much ACTUALLY happens but a lot of new developments and craziness begins.
> 
>  
> 
> Not to mention character development WHAT WHAAAATT.

When they arrived, they heard gunshots, explosions and motorcycles.

  

Vaughn pointed towards one of the buildings,

 

“There! Land there LB. I swear I saw Fiona!”

 

LB landed on a psycho. Fiona smiled up at the two,

 

“About time!”

 

Rhys helped Sasha up and Fiona ran on. Something smashed into LB before they took off. Sasha was practically screaming,

 

“YES! OH GOD THAT WAS CLOSE!”

 

Sasha began laughing and punched Rhys in the arm.

 

“Ow.”

 

She continued to laugh and Rhys couldn’t help but blush. Fiona sighed,

 

“Wait. Loader Bot? Uh… Mind taking us towards Scooters place? It’s just around the corner.”

 

Vaughn shrugged and gave LB a thumbs up,

 

“It’s okay bro. Let’s do it.”

 

There, Scooter couldn’t stop nervously giggling around the two girls. They all hopped onto the caravan, LB sat on the roof and they began speeding off back into the wasteland. Vaughn took the wheel from Sasha as she walked towards Fiona and Rhys arguing,

 

“Rhys, I’m telling you. That map had Old Haven. The next step to whatever this Gortys vault project is, it’s there.”

 

Jack popped up to the mention of a vault. He was already smiling. “Should follow your gut, but Hat here isn’t wrong.”

 

Vaughn spoke from the driver seat, “What’s an Old Haven?”

 

Sasha snorted, “It’s an old Atlas town. Been abandon for a while though. Sure the next step is there?”

 

Fiona nodded, “I’m POSITIVE. We’re in this deep. The worst that happens is there’s nothing there.”

 

Jack was waving his hands and pointing at Fiona. Whatever Jack wanted and planned on getting with this project, it was clearly already making him happy. Whenever something on Pandora made Jack happy, it was either really bad, death included with a vault or something far worse. Rhys hands started to shake but he squeezed his hands and clenched his teeth.

 

Rhys ignored Jack pointing at Fiona and sighed, “Fine.”

 

Vaughn spoke up, “Uh, not to interrupt again, but Fiona? Mind taking the wheel? I actually have no clue where I’m going.”

 

Fiona smirked and chuckled to herself. She took the wheel and pointed to the back.

 

“Might as well crash while you can. It’ll be another few hours before we hit the town.”

 

Sasha sprawled out on the seats, “Already ahead of you.”

 

Rhys tried to calm his shaking down but his mind got the worst of him.

 

_What’s in Old Haven? Why is it so important? What if we die finding whatever we’re looking for?_

Rhys noticed his hands get clammy and his breathing began to pick up. He looked towards the ladder that led to the roof and shut his eyes briefly to focus on speaking,

 

“I’m-I doubt I’ll be able to sleep. I’m gonna’ get some air. K-Kind of hot.”

 

Vaughn looked over and noticed immediately, “Uh. I’ll join.”

 

He walked up to Rhys and patted his back, giving him the signal to go. They climbed the top as Sasha spoke back,

 

“Just be sure to hold onto the rails. Gets damn windy up there.”

 

Vaughn shut the hatch as Rhys crashed onto his butt and immediately began hyperventilating. Tears streaked his face and Vaughn kneeled in front of him. Speaking just loud enough for Rhys to hear,

 

“Just breathe. Come on. Let it out. You got this Rhys. Focus on breathing.”

 

Rhys tried but only began panicking more. In that moment, Rhys realized just how much his medication helped him on a daily basis. Even within the year, he had to up his dosage slightly to allow him to sleep at night but going cold after a year made not only his brain panic, but also his entire system was thrown off. Jack popped up and was kneeling beside Vaughn. He looked from Rhys to Vaughn and back to Rhys.

 

“Not the first time he’s seen you freak?”

 

Rhys ignored him and closed his eyes but he could feel Jack’s stares.

 

Jack continued, “Sure as hell worse watching it a second time around.”

 

Rhys tried to breath but clenched his teeth as his lungs began to hurt. Vaughn had both of his hands on Rhys arms, rubbing them and staring at Rhys.

 

“You got this bro. Just let out what you need.”

 

Jack kept speaking over Vaughn, “I mean, screwing around certainly helped the last time. HA. Too bad we can’t now.”

 

Rhys pushed out what he could,

 

“Sh-sh-sh-ut up.”

 

Vaughn immediately looked away from Rhys. Rhys looked up to his friend and felt guilt sit in his stomach.

 

“N-n-n-no. N-n-not you. J-Jack.”

 

Vaughn looked up and around. Jack scuffed and stood, staring down at the two of them. Vaughn looked at Rhys.

 

“Look at me buddy.”

 

Rhys did his best but couldn’t see Vaughn past his tears,

 

“I-I’m tr-ying-”

 

Vaughn squeezed his arms, “Shhh. It’s okay. Shit. I’m sorry Rhys.”

 

Rhys shook his head and tried to stop Vaughn. Rhys wanted to scream, wanted to punch something and wanted to escape Pandora, but his body would never allow that. He curled his legs up to his chest and was able to gain some big gulps of air. However, Jack wouldn’t stay quiet,

 

“Rhysie. Forgot to take your meds?”

 

Rhys glared up to Jack, “I-I didn’t plan on being down here this long. S-so no. I didn’t.”

 

Vaughn looked towards the empty space and back to Rhys.

 

“What’s he saying?”

 

Rhys avoided his friend’s eyes and concentrated on his words.

 

“B-be-ing an asshole.”

 

Vaughn smirked, “Not surprised.”

 

Rhys tried to smile but was only able to clench his teeth,

 

“H-he asked about my m-meds. D-don’t have meds.”

 

Vaughn’s jaw slightly hung open, “Shit. Yeah. That explains...”

 

Rhys nodded in agreement, while his breathing was slowing down in waves. They went quiet and it helped Rhys stay calm. LB was the only other person on the roof but they seemed to be sleeping.

 

_Do robots sleep?_

Rhys smirked to himself. If they did, he wished LB the best of sleeps. Vaughn sighed and let go of Rhys.

 

“Better?”

 

Rhys nodded and smiled up to Vaughn, “A lot better. Uh- sorry.”

 

Vaughn held his hands up, “Nope. Not having that.”

 

Vaughn laughed which only made Rhys feel more relieved. He wiped his eyes and noticed Vaughn shuffle on his knees.

 

“Sup bro?”

 

Vaughn sighed, “Kind of just…Don’t freak. And I promise not to say anything unless you tell me other wise. But are you going to tell the others about… Jack?”

 

Jack immediately perked up and scuffed, “No. Bad idea Rhysie. You’ll ruin the whole plan.”

 

Rhys sighed and looked to Vaughn, “Jack says if I tell, it’ll ruin the plan.”

 

Vaughn rolled his eyes, “Of course he’d say that. Saving his own ass as usual. I mean, isn’t it better if we’re just honest off the bat? Gain more of their trust?”

 

Rhys looked to Jack who immediately laughed, “Yeah. Trust. No. ALL wrong Abs. If it weren’t for Rhys being the only other one who can touch the Gortys piece, they would kick our sorry Asses to the curb. Can’t trust anyone on this God damn pl-”

 

Rhys cut Jack off, “Jack’s got a point. I’m the only other person who can touch the Gortys piece. If it were Fiona AND Sasha, they’d probably get rid of us.”

 

Vaughn crossed his arms, “Yeah, okay. Maybe. But what does that have to do with trust? Look, they did just as we did. We both tried to screw someone, only ending in screwing ourselves.”

 

Jack was kicking Vaughn, his foot going through him, “WRONG! They. Are. Bandits. And. Can’t. Be. Trusted.”

 

Rhys ignored Jack, “We screwed each other and in a way Vaughn, we need them just as they need us. We’re not the only ones with someone after us.”

 

Vaughn sighed, “I guess that’s true. But why can’t we just tell them?”

 

Rhys looked at Jack, who was now pulling his hand around Vaughn’s head,

 

“Trust me, I want to tell them, but let’s wait until we figure out what this next piece is. Then I’ll come clean.”

 

Jack stopped and looked at Rhys, “Come ON Rhys! I-We’re dead if you do that.”

 

“In case you forgot Jack, You’re already dead. And honestly, I trust them. They’ve saved our asses one too many times and now we’re even. We make a good team and now we got this map straight to a vault. If it’s worth more than that ten million, which it clearly is worth more, it’s almost worth getting my head cut off, then I’m going all the way to find the damn thing and I’d be happy to do so with them.”

 

Vaughn smiled and nodded, “Then it’s settled. We’ll wait until after Old Haven! MAN this is exciting!”

 

Rhys felt himself getting cold and shivered, “For now, let’s head down and try to get some sleep.”

 

Vaughn yawned in response, “I second that.”

 

They opened the hatch, and Vaughn collapsed next to Sasha. Rhys attempted to sleep on the small mat on the floor but found Jack staring down at him. Rhys looked to Fiona to make sure she was too focused and whispered to Jack,

 

“What?”

 

Jack pretended to kick Rhys, causing Rhys to flinch, “You. Are. An. Idiot.”

 

Rhys sighed and rolled over, “Just shh. Let me sleep.”

 

“I cannot believe you trust them over me. Pathetic. Funny, you know? I’ve known you a hell of a lot longer and yet, you choose these complete strangers.”

 

Rhys had trusted Jack the instant he worked for him. For as long as he had worked for the guy, aside from the death threats, he felt completely safe. Jack always told people if you did the work and did it right, you would get by just fine. For once, Rhys was in control and Jack was taking a back seat. As far as Rhys was aware, this was his body and his own choice. Not Jack’s.

 

Jack glitched next to Rhys’ face, scaring Rhys. Fiona noticed and called over,

 

“Everything okay? Did a spider scare you?”

 

Rhys rolled his eyes, “Ha. Ha. No. Just, sort of scared myself.”

 

Fiona giggled, “Ah. Wanna’ take the wheel?

 

Rhys sighed and stood, “Sure.”

 

He turned his echo on and marked his map for Old Haven.

 

“Any idea what I should be looking out for?”

 

Fiona yawned and headed down towards the mat, “I guess an old Atlas facility? That seems to be the theme.”

 

Rhys nodded and continued to drive the rest of the night. Jack was there to keep him entertained and also annoyed when he was bored. He would watch Rhys’ back just in case someone wanted to stab him, which Rhys found unlikely but Jack didn’t trust any of them. When he was bored out of his mind, Jack would constantly and slowly run his hands through Rhys’ body, which would cause Rhys to flinch but wouldn’t actually feel anything. He heard Sasha yawn and sit up from behind him. Jack announced her movement,

 

“Goggles approaching.”

 

Sasha patted Rhys arm and he smirked, “Have a good nap?”

 

She shrugged, “Bumpy but better than nothing. We getting close?”

 

Rhys nodded, “Yeah. Might as well wake up the rest.”

 

Sasha headed towards the others and shook their shoulders. She looked over at their kitchen area and began warming up a pan.

 

“Can’t go adventuring on an empty stomach.”

 

Rhys parked as they all gathered to eat. LB kept watch and shot at anything that moved around them. They weren’t too far from the site but decided to eat and plan while they could. They knew no actual bandits would be around but getting into the Atlas facility would be a bit tough. Not to mention, Rhys and Vaughn were pretty sure they were still being tracked. Rhys was able to scan them but couldn’t understand how they were being tracked, aside from Rhys’ own port. He tried to disable whatever he could but he wouldn’t know if it worked or not unless someone showed up to prove him other wise. Once Fiona took the wheel again, they arrived to the location and found it next to empty. Rhys scanned the surroundings and found electrical panels leading into the ground. With a few re-wires and a few switches flicked, the entire facility came rising up from the ground. All of them were stunned. Sasha was the first to speak and aim her gun at the entrance,

 

“Well? We walking in or what?”

 

Rhys walked in front of her, “Woah. Hold on. We have no clue what awaits.”

 

Fiona snorted, “If the last place had nothing and two KEYS to the damn project, I doubt this place will either.”

 

Fiona walked right into the entrance and nothing happened. She even jumped around a few times before landing a finishing bow.

 

“See? Perfectly fine.”

 

Vaughn looked at Rhys and shrugged. Rhys sighed and felt himself shake. He ignored it and walked forward. Jack whistled at the sight.

 

“Atlas man. Hated those guys but damn is there old stuff cool.”

 

Rhys smirked, “Yeah. Pretty sweet.”

 

The first sight of blood turned Rhys’ stomach. Fiona checked a few of the bodies and shook her head,

 

“Looks like someone got here before we could.”

 

Rhys could smell the blood and immediately stuck out his tongue, “Great.”

 

Sasha shrugged, “Lance too. At least we don’t have to deal with them.”

 

Jack laughed, “Well, make that one issue down.”

 

Rhys was confused until he heard someone slow clapping behind him.

 

“Bravo. Figured out about this old project. Man, it would’ve been nice to see you all get shot but I guess that’ll have to wait.”

 

Rhys looked at LB, “GET HIM LB.”

 

The robot spoke loudly, “WITH PLEASURE.”

 

Vasquez pulled out a remote, “Ah ah, nice try.”

 

He pushed a button and with mere inches next to his face, LB was frozen. He looked at Rhys.

 

“I HAVE FAILED YOU FATHER.”

 

And fell with a clunk.

 

Sasha aimed her gun at Vasquez but immediately saw August walk in and smirked, pointing his gun at Fiona. Fiona flung her pistol towards August and they were in a stand off. Out of nowhere, a couple of guys ran at Rhys and Vaughn and held guns to their heads.

 

“Drop the guns ladies or these two will join the floor party.”

 

Fiona looked to Sasha and waited. Sasha lowered her gun and dropped it to the ground. Fiona pulled her gun back but didn’t flinch to drop it. Vasquez whistled and more bandits appeared, surrounding them and guns ready. He smirked and nudged his head towards the front.

 

“Well pansies? Keep moving.”

 

Jack slow clapped, “Bravo. Wallethead gets you AGAIN?! Shocker. No but for real, I’m gonna’ hang in the back of your head just in case this ends badly. Ciao!”

 

Rhys clenched his jaw and watched Jack disappear as they continued further into the facility.

 

 

As they reached the main area where two doors that resembled the keys stuck out. Rhys turned his ECHO on and off and immediately sighed. He looked towards the rest and they all looked defeated.

 

_Great._

Vasquez halted everyone and smirked at Rhys.

 

“Really thought you could get away, didn’t you?”

 

Rhys avoided his eye contact, “Let’s just get this over with.”

 

August stood forwards, “Fine. Where’s the key?”

 

Rhys pulled out his half and smiled as he handed it to August. He immediately yelped as it shocked him, landing on the floor. August stared at him and punched him hard in the stomach. Rhys fell to the floor as Vasquez laughed and patted August,

 

“Forgot to mention. The keys? Yeah. They do that.”

 

Sasha ran to Rhys’ side and helped him up.

 

“You guys are real jackasses, you know that?”

 

August laughed sourly, “Yeah. Can say the same to you, Sash.”

 

She grinded her teeth and got Rhys stable. He weakly nodded and looked at August who examined the one key and the doors.

 

“Two keys, two doors. Two ways. What do you think Vasquez?”

 

He chuckled to himself, “You take hat over there and I’ll take this piece of trash.”

 

_GREAAATTTT._

Before heading out, Vasquez ordered his men to keep watch of the others and to shoot them if they tried anything. That’s when Rhys and Fiona walked down the different paths and were headed towards the unknown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously though, this chapter was boring to write so I hope it wasn't boring to read!!


	17. Two Sides

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gortys Project pushes everyone a step closer to a new vault but choosing how they get by is a different story.
> 
> You could say there's two sides to every tale.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS chapter contains MULTIPLE POVs. It was sooo fun to write these, considering Tales is one big back and forth with Rhys and Fiona.
> 
>  
> 
> Hopefully it isn't too confusing!

August couldn’t keep his gun up as he kept scratching his head. He pointed it lazily at Fiona and spoke,

 

“So… What does Sasha think of me?”

 

Fiona snorted, “Really? That’s what you begin with?”

 

August growled, “Eh, I’m the one with the gun.”

 

“Real smooth.”

 

He paused only briefly before sighing and putting his gun away.

 

“For real. Did she ever…. You know, mention me?”

 

Fiona shrugged, “Said you were dangerous.”

 

“Well, I am. So there’s that. But what else?”

 

Fiona paused, “What else do you want to hear?”

 

August shrugged, “Was I more to her? Or just a mark?”

 

Fiona rubbed her eyes and threw her hands up, “Honestly, that’s something you need to ask her. You were part of our plan. We needed you to reach our mark but we both know how that worked out.”

 

August smiled at the answer as they reached the gate. They both looked into the galaxy room and Fiona’s eyes watered,

 

“This is beautiful.”

 

August huffed, “Yeah yeah. Just pop that key in and let’s get going.”

 

Fiona walked to the console and as she popped the key in, a barrier separated August and herself. He began banging on it but couldn’t get through.

 

 

 

 

 

Before Rhys barely walked ten feet, Vasquez was on him about everything,

 

“It makes me wonder what’s so important about you.”

 

Jack woke and was walking beside Rhys,

 

“It makes me puke thinkin’ of this guy. Come on Rhys, just mention Wallethead. It’ll be a good laugh.”

 

Rhys sighed and decided it was all he had to pass the time and quite possibly his life,

 

“Just shhh and let’s get a move on Wallethead.”

 

Jack held his laugh in as much as he could. Vasquez froze, turned towards Rhys and punched him hard across the face. Rhys smacked into the wall with a thud and chuckled to himself.

 

_Worth it._

Vasquez grabbed Rhys by the collar and held him tight,

 

“I told you Rhys. You wouldn’t always have Jack there to protect you. Huh. Looks like I was right all along.”

 

Jack laughed, “Yeah, for all he knows. Go on Rhys, tell em. It’d be funny to see his reaction.”

 

Rhys hesitated and did it anyways, “That’s the thing, Jack’s in me. He always is.”

 

Vasquez rolled his eyes and laughed. Pushing Rhys down the hall,

 

“Just keep walking. I’m sure Jack LOVES being in you too.”

 

Rhys blushed and immediately regretted the way he said it. Jack burst and was hollering,

 

“OH RHYSIE that was GOOOOD. I’m dying! HAAA oh my God. My sides hurt. IF I COULD FEEL THEM HAHAHAHA.”

 

Jack kept laughing as they went down the hallway. Something was eating away at Rhys,

 

“How did you even find us? Again?”

 

Vasquez smirked, “Well, guess we have you to thank for that.”

 

Rhys face fell. This was his fault. They reached the end of the hall and entered into the galaxy room. Rhys’ jaw fell,

 

“Wow.”

 

Jack smirked and crossed his arms, “Ain’t she pretty?”

 

Vasquez pushed Rhys forward,

 

“Well? Plug the key in.”

 

Rhys did as he was told and was immediately separated from Vasquez. The platform brought him down where he met Fiona. She cocked an eye at him and smirked,

 

“Nice of you to join.”

 

Rhys smiled and crossed his arms, “Have a nice chat?”

 

Fiona shrugged, “Was predictable talk but guess I’m good at knowing what people are going to say. You?”

 

Rhys rubbed his gut, “Same. But with more pain.”

 

Fiona snorted, “Fun.”

 

They got interrupted by a knock on the viewing glass. Vasquez pointed his gun at Vaughn and August did the same with Sasha. Fiona shouted,

 

“OKAY. WE’RE GOING. Jeeze.”

 

They looked at the platforms and Rhys scanned around them.

 

“Looks like we just push them together.”

 

Fiona grabbed her end and Rhys followed. They struggled to push but finally got the two parts to connect. The system around them worked and heated up as it slowly separated and revealed a full, big, silver sphere.

 

Fiona chuckled, “This is what everyone’s after? Seriously? A floating sphere?”

 

Rhys reached out, “Maybe if we-”

 

It dropped to the ground and began rolling away. Fiona stepped on it and Rhys dived at it, nearly falling off the platform. An alarm blared,

 

“GORTYS PROJECT COMPROMISED.”

 

Security bots were alerted but Rhys stood, holding the Sphere close,

 

“NO! LOOK. IT’S FINE! SEE?”

 

The robots surrounded them and began to file in after their friends. Rhys saw Vasquez grab Vaughn and used him as a shield,

 

“VAUGHN!”

 

Fiona saw August stay firm with his gun on Sasha and they were yelling,

 

“SASHA. God dammit.”

 

Rhys froze and held tightly to the ball. Fiona grabbed it out of his hands and held it with one arm as she pulled out what looked like a grenade.

 

Rhys backed up slightly, “Bit extreme?”

 

She hesitated, “Just trust me, okay?”

 

Jack appeared beside Rhys, “Oh no. I don’t think so. Rhys. Man. Please, believe me. You gotta’ let me into your subsystems. I can hack into the bots and take full control of the whole Goddamn facility. I just need permission.”

 

Rhys stared between Fiona and Jack. He panicked and didn’t know what to do.

 

Fiona held tight, “COME ON. Rhys, I got this.”

 

Jack yelled over her, “She’s got NOTHING Rhys. For once, just TRUST ME. I will have this whole place in OUR control. You hearin’ me, muffin?”

 

Rhys was and he didn’t agree in the slightest. But it was the only thing he saw a safe outcome to. He sighed and looked at Jack.

 

“Do it.”

 

Jack double took and smirked,

 

“Wait, for real?”

 

Rhys rolled his eyes, “Yes. Just… get us out SAFE.”

 

Jack laughed and put his finger on Rhys’ port, sending a painful jolt down his head, through his spine and it spread into his entire body. He wanted to scream but it fell just as quickly as it came. Jack used Rhys and hacked into the system, moving Rhys’ arm in swift movements, causing the bots to change from Red to Yellow and turning towards the glass. Fiona looked over and nearly dropped the Gortys Sphere.

 

“Rhys. What the hell is happening? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”

 

Rhys looked towards Fiona but couldn’t move,

 

“It’s. Not. Me.”

 

With that, the bots began shooting at the glass, and broke through. Jack laughed hysterically and faded away with the bots. They were shooting at the bandits, at the traitors and at everyone. Rhys panicked and used his new control to bring Fiona and him up to the room. They jumped through and hid in cover. Sasha and Vaughn joined them only seconds later. Sasha was shooting back at the bots,

 

“Well? What now?”

 

Fiona glanced at Rhys and grinded her teeth,

 

“Yeah, Rhys. WHAT NOW? How about YOU STOP THESE THINGS?!”

 

Rhys shuddered at the tone and tried but nothing seemed to be working. Jack had full control,

 

“I-I can’t. I lost control. I’m sorry!”

 

Fiona rolled her eyes and stared at Sasha,

 

“Get me a gun. A proper fully loaded gun.”

 

Sasha nodded and shot one of the bandits close by, presenting Fiona with a rifle. She picked it up and immediately began shooting. Vaughn nudged Rhys,

 

“What about LB? He’s still stuck!”

 

Rhys glanced at Vasquez who was using LB as a shield and to take down the bots. Rhys sighed and whispered,

 

“Jack, I need you.”

 

He reappeared, laughing, “Thought you did.”

 

He looked towards Vasquez and LB,

 

“Jesus Jack. You said we’d BOTH have control! Stop this shit and help me get LB back.”

 

Jack smirked and shook his head,

 

“Nah. I wanna’ have fun. BUT I’ll give you this little guy. Call him Dumpy. Reminds me of you.”

 

The smallest and loudest of the bots presented itself to Rhys and Rhys could feel he had full control.

 

“HAVE FUN. KISSES!”

 

Jack disappeared again and left Rhys with his only little savior.

 

The bot scream loudly. Rhys sighed,

 

“Come on little guy. Go shock Vasquez.”

 

With that, it buzzed and bobbed around until it shocked Vasquez. Vaughn ran out and crushed the remote, gaining a protective LB and he was at their aid.

 

“HOW CAN I HELP?”

 

Fiona examined and pointed up at the statue,

 

“PUSH THIS. Sasha, shoot the ankles.”

 

A little weakening and a bit of force caused the whole thing to come down, knocking out some bots and almost all of the bandits. LB grabbed everyone and flew everyone out of there. Vaughn cheered,

 

“WOOOOOOWWW!”

 

Rhys laughed but their victory got interrupted. Fiona and Sasha screamed as a rocket launched right at them, LB crash-landed and they all followed.

 

Fiona looked up and a big, muscular woman stood in front of her, offering a hand. She hesitated but took it,

 

“Uh. Thanks.”

 

The woman spoke roughly, “My pleasure.”

 

Fiona saw movement all around and noticed more bandits, guns aimed at them and ready to fire. The others were slowly helping one another up. Fiona noticed the woman bend over and pick up the silver Gortys Sphere.

 

“So this is what all the fuss is about. “

 

Sasha stood and called out, “Fi?”

 

Fiona put her hand up to stop any more questions and stared at the woman.

 

The woman smirked and stepped closer to Fiona,

 

“Looks like you’re the leader of this… group. I can see why you were Felix’s favourite.”

 

Fiona’s face dropped, “Excuse me-”

 

“The names Vallory. I’m shocked you don’t remember me. I’ve known about you two since you were stealing watches. Felix never mentioned me?”

 

Sasha spoke up, “Only briefly. But it was never… positive.”

 

Vallory chuckled to herself but immediately frowned as she saw August and Vasquez approach. August avoided Vallory’s eyes, while Vasquez greeted her.

 

“Vallory!”

 

She hummed, “Hugo. You told me to come by just in case and I guess I came at the right time.”

 

August looked at Vasquez and sucked his teeth. Vallory noticed and spat at August,

 

“I’ll speak to you later boy.”

 

Vallory’s face softened and put her arm around Fiona,

 

“Now, Fiona. Tell me, who caused me all this pain and a loss of ten million dollars.”

 

Rhys wanted to object and say it wasn’t hers to begin with but he knew that would possibly kill him. Fiona sighed and spoke softly,

 

“Felix. I loved the guy but he screwed everything. If it weren’t for him, the deal never would’ve been made and none of this would’ve happened.”

 

Vallory smirked and patted Fiona’s shoulder a bit too hard,

 

“Good girl.”

 

Vasquez walked forwards and Vallory glared,

 

“Now Vallory, we got this far. And look, the Gortys sphere!”

 

She laughed, “Is it worth more than ten million?”

 

Jack snorted, “You have no idea.”

 

Vasquez continued, “It’s worth more than anything we could ever imagine.”

 

Vallory picked up the Sphere and held it.

 

“Well. Hugo? I have what I want. I guess there’s no need for you.”

 

Vasquez face fell, “WAIT. VAL NO!”

 

She grabbed his gun and shot him point blank in the chest. Blood splattered and landed on Fiona’s face. She shook her head and stared at Vallory who hummed to herself, smiling at the mess she made. Rhys and the others stood by Fiona. Rhys stared down at the one man he had always hated but even if he was a shitty person and never liked Rhys, he never wanted this for Vasquez.

 

Jack sighed,

 

“Poor ol’ Wallethead. Was a good laugh while it lasted.”

 

Rhys shuddered and looked back to Vallory who was clearly staring at him. Before she could do anymore damage, there was a loud whirling noise. It knocked Vallory to the side, causing the Gortys Sphere to land directly in front of Fiona. She held it with her foot as Athena, the Vault Hunter, stood directly in front of her. She was guarding them all with her shield. She threw it again, knocking and bashing every bandit surrounding them. Vallory pulled a knife but August held her back,

 

“Ma. Not here.”

 

She growled and pointed at Athena, “THIS AIN’T OVER.”

 

Athena stood strong, “You’re the one leaving. Looks over to me.”

 

Vallory smiled and shook her head, “Oh. You’ll feel when it’s over. I promise.”

 

They hopped into their truck and sped off. Athena took off her hood and revealed her scowling face.

 

“DO YOU REALIZE I’VE BEEN TRYING TO HELP YOU? YOU IDIOTS!”

 

Fiona looked at the others who were just as shocked, “Oh. Well..uh. Sorry.”

 

Athena sighed and paced, “You know, for once I want a job with a satisfying end. Even a kill or two. But _this_ is NOT what I signed up for. Arrggg.”

  

Fiona looked at the others who shrugged and were more terrified than they let on.

 

Fiona walked closer to Athena,

 

“Couldn’t have told us earlier? Back at Hollow Point, that was you?”

 

Athena crossed her arms, “Yes, because blowing my cover is more important than letting those around us know I’m trying to _protect_ you.”

 

Rhys smirked. He liked her but Jack was staring at her oddly. Fiona cleared her throat and stepped closer,

 

“Well. Now that that’s out of the way, any chance you’ll explain how you ended up helping us?”

 

Athena glared at her and walked closer, “Does the name Felix ring any bells? Well, he hired me to take care of you and your sister until I feel I have done my duty. Whatever that means.”

 

Sasha crossed her arms, “And why would Felix even care-”

 

Athena shrugged, “Paid a good bit of money to have it done so I assume he does care. Wants me to teach you two how to defend yourself and I plan on sticking to my word and getting the job done. Enough said.”

 

Rhys cleared his throat, “Hi. Uh. Question. Does you being here also include you helping us out with the Gortys project?”

 

Athena’s eyes went wide, “I tried to shut down those assholes in the first place. What’s in it for me?”

 

Rhys swallowed and Jack slow clapped, “Good job pumpkin. In case you haven’t picked up on it, Athena HATES Atlas. They used her. I’m no better but at least I didn’t-”

 

Fiona interrupted, “Take this as our mentoring, if you will. You help us. We help you. Case closed.”

 

Athena crossed her arms and sighed, “Fine. But if I feel you two are ready BEFORE this is all done, I’m leaving.”

 

Fiona rubbed her hands and nodded, “Works for me. Everyone else in?”

 

Everyone nodded or gave agreements except for Jack.

 

“Hell no.”

 

Rhys ignored Jack and looked over at the group, “So, what now?”

 

Fiona sighed and looked at the Sphere, “Guess we figure out what to do with this.”

 

She kicked it but nothing happened. Rhys attempted to scan it but nothing was detected. He kneeled down and almost jumped when he saw the answer,

 

“I think I got something!”

 

Everyone surrounded him and Rhys pushed a little button. Out popped a robot with the cutest attitude and a high-pitched voice.

 

“Hi there! I’m Gortys! Nice to meet you.”

 

Fiona was smirking hard, “You are just the cutest thing ever.”

 

Gortys laughed, “Aww thank you! You’re not too bad yourself.”

 

Gortys noticed LB and wheeled over, “Another robot! HI THERE!”

 

LB looked down and waved, “HI.”

 

Athena groaned, “Can we get a move on?”

 

Rhys smiled towards Gortys, “Mind telling us who or what you are Gortys? Would be a huge help to solving this mystery.”

 

Gortys perked up, “Mystery? OOoooh, it’s like a spooky spy show!”

 

Sasha snorted, “Too adorable.”

 

Gortys looked around at everyone and smiled, “Well. I’m Gortys. I’m supposed to help you all find a vault! Except some missy over here kept killing off all the Atlas employees that were assembling me. So all my pieces are in various locations. And if I’m not wrong, the next piece is…..uhhhhhh….HMMMMM… OH! THIS WAY.”

 

Gortys pointed and began rolling, “UP AND AT EM!”

 

Rhys shook his head and looked to Fiona and the gang,

 

“Are we actually doing this?”

 

Fiona shrugged, “Guess so.”

 

They gathered into the caravan and began the long journey to find the rest of Gortys, to find what vault they were hunting and for Rhys, it was to find out why Jack ended up in the state he was. Having been with the girls for such a short time, they were growing close fast and that scared Rhys. Deep down, he knew Vaughn and himself were never getting back to Helios. This was their life now. Regardless of what they found next, it was a journey into the unknown and it was a journey that would continue to get more confusing and change their lives for better or for worse.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit. Is. Getting. Real.
> 
> Also, Gortys is the cutest freakin' thing ever.
> 
> I want a Gortys plushie soo bad. 
> 
>  
> 
> GOING TO MENTION, the next chapter is... scary. Jack and Rhys have a LOT to talk about.


	18. Concentrate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey to finding the Gortys piece begins. Gortys leads the group but their travels get interrupted by weather. Vaughn continues to get worried about Rhys but Jack forces Rhys to do something out of his control.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDATE: MADE A SLIGHT EDIT during the introduction scene with Tim. I wanted it to make a BIT of sense as to why the group is all of a sudden gone. SORRY ABOUT THAT. Doesn't change anything else that happens! 
> 
> HUGE WARNING. Panic attack, some emotional, physical and verbal abuse ahead! Some brief...grabbing...of naughty areas.
> 
> This chapter was NOT easy to write. You'll see why.

_The bots rose around Rhys and Fiona. Fiona grabbed Gortys and held out a grenade. Rhys panicked and looked to Jack for help._

_“Do it.”_

_Jack smirked as he took over Rhys’ body. He controlled the bots and began laughing hysterically with Rhys’ voice. He began killing everyone. Not just Vasquez, August and the bandits, but his friends. Rhys’ screamed, kicked and cried but nothing. NOTHING he did changed what Jack was forcing him to do, to watch and it was absolute torture. As Rhys watched all his friends die, Jack spoke in his voice,_

_“Never should’ve trusted me, kiddo.”_

“RHYS?!”

 

Rhys woke, crying and couldn’t breathe. Vaughn sat him up and Rhys noticed the others were awake and staring at him. None of them moved except for Gortys who rolled right next to Rhys,

 

“Why are you crying? Did you get hurt?”

 

Rhys wanted to laugh at his funny little friend but he couldn’t. His chest, brain and everything within him was on fire. Vaughn looked worried and tried to calm Rhys. He couldn’t bring his legs up but Vaughn noticed and shook his head,

 

“Rhys, you gotta’ breathe. Concentrate.”

 

Rhys nodded as tears poured down his face, but the images from his nightmare were all too clear. Jack awoke with a yawn as if he’d been sleeping,

 

“Oh wow, still night. What’s happenin’- Shit.”

 

Rhys ignored him because if he looked at him, he was pretty sure he’d scream and punch at the empty space. He was upset with Jack because of what happened. Whether it be his nightmares influence or not, he gave into Jack, Jack used his trust and made the situation deadly. He gave Jack firing power that could’ve easily turned out a million times worse. But his friends were still alive.

 

_They’re still alive._

“Come on. Gotta’ stand bro. This isn’t working.”

 

Rhys nodded as Vaughn helped him up but Rhys instantly fell back down. Athena stood on Rhys’ other side and helped Vaughn sit him up.

 

“Bring him to the caravan. Fiona? Sasha? Any chance there’s clean water in there?”

 

Sasha nodded and waved them to follow her in. They sat Rhys down at the table where he continued to cry and tremble. Sasha filled a small glass with water and handed it to Rhys but he couldn’t move. She looked hurt and moved it closer. Vaughn sighed and sat beside Rhys, picking up the glass.

 

“I got it.”

 

Rhys stared at his friend and shook his head but he only forced it closer to Rhys’ lips.

 

“N-n-n-n-o-“

 

“Rhys, please. You are dehydrated. You need this.”

 

He allowed Vaughn to serve him water, feeling all the more pathetic having to do it. He hadn’t been this bad in a long time but his lack of medication was making it worse. Fiona leaned against the counter,

 

“Care to explain what the hell is happening?”

 

She was frustrated and Rhys hated they were seeing this. He tried to speak but Vaughn sighed and did the explaining,

 

“Not really for me to explain the story. But Rhys has… attacks. PTSD. Causes these panic attacks and well, being from Helios had its benefits when it came to care. And medication. But we left all that up on the station.”

 

Sasha crossed her arms, “Jesus Rhys.”

 

He avoided her eyes. Clenching his hands seemed to only make it worse. Everything felt dark and if he didn’t get his breathing down soon, he’d pass out. He was exhausted and his body was catching up.

 

Athena cleared her throat, “Anything else we should probably know before we get rudely awakened again?”

 

Rhys looked towards Jack. He was staring away from Rhys but that question caught his attention.

 

Rhys nodded making Jack panic.

 

“Wow. Rhysie. Baby. You need to calm down and get your mind clear. Athena. Yeah. You tell her my NAME and she’ll cut your head off. Do NOT tell her. We didn’t end on the greatest of terms and I promise you she will not give you time to explain.”

 

Jack was mere feet away from Rhys and instinctively reached out and put his hand above his shoulder.

 

Rhys’ mind began to race. He knew Jack wasn’t wrong but he needed to tell them. He needed to tell ALL of them that Jack was there but Jack didn’t want it now. If they should listen to him, now would be the time.

 

As Rhys opened his mouth to talk, Jack reached for his port causing Rhys to flinch, making the pain much worse. He began screaming. Vaughn stared at him and grabbed him tight. Rhys could barely get the words out.

 

“I-I-I-I-m-s-s-s-orr-y.”

 

Vaughn shushed him and refused to let Rhys go. They all stood around and waited for Rhys to calm down. He was battling with Jack in his mind, wanting to tell the group but not actually knowing the outcome.

 

_Will they kill me? Betray me? Hurt me? Kill Vaughn? USE ME?_

Jack coughed, “Yeah. Yeah they will. They always do.”

 

 

 

 

The caravan hummed as it drove. Rhys was sitting on the floor. Actually, he was lying on someone but his vision was betraying him. That someone was running their hands through his hair. He flinched causing the person to pause.

 

“Vaughn?”

 

Sasha chuckled, “No. It's Sasha. Thanks for the compliment. I guess.”

 

Rhys tried to sit up but Sasha held him in place.

 

“It’s okay. How are you doing?”

 

Rhys noticed his breathing was back to normal but his heart was still pounding. His body was at an all time low and he had the biggest headache.

 

“H-how did I get on the floor?”

 

Sasha hesitated for a moment, “What’s the last thing you remember?”

 

He paused for a moment.

 

_Jack._

“Uh. Sitting? I think I was screaming. Vaughn was hugging me.”

 

Sasha stopped again and sighed, “Nothing after that?”

 

Rhys shook his head feeling sick, “No…I’m-”

 

Sasha shook her head, “Do you…black out often?”

 

Rhys wanted to apologize for everything but he kept the conversation going,

 

“Only have a few times. I try to hold on but…you know. Exhaustion is a bitch.”

 

Sasha laughed, “Yeah. You could say that. Those Hyperion meds must’ve been something if this is what they were helping.”

 

Rhys sighed, “They were incredible. And now I’m back to square one.”

 

Sasha frowned, “I’m sorry.”

 

Rhys stopped Sasha and sat up, rubbing his arms, “Why are _you_ sorry?”

 

Sasha crossed her arms, “I feel bad? Is that a crime?”

 

Rhys sighed and ran his hand through his now smooth hair.

 

“Listen. I never wanted any of you to witness that-”

 

“And now that we have, you don’t need to freak when it happens. Rhys. We get it.”

 

He shook his head, “No. You really don’t-”

 

Sasha huffed, “Oh so what, you think I’m stupid? What, you think everyone on Pandora is a lunatic?”

 

Rhys closed his mouth and grinded his teeth, “That’s not what I meant.”

 

Sasha threw her hands up, “Suurrreee it wasn’t.”

 

Rhys sighed and avoided her eyes, “What I’m trying to say is that it sucked that you all saw. No one should have to carry my luggage but me. It’s bad enough Vaughn’s constantly worrying about me, and now you guys? That’s the last thing I wanted.”

 

Sasha took a moment to let the words sink in before taking a big breath. She grabbed Rhys’ flesh hand and squeezed it,

 

“I hear you loud and clear Rhys. I’ll still aim my gun at you if that’s what you want.”

 

Rhys laughed, feeling instantly relieved, but Sasha continued,

 

“Just know, Not everyone on Pandora is a monster. Far from it. Whatever that was, you aren’t giving us some weight to carry. We’re just trying to make the travel a bit easier. We’ve all been through hell these past few weeks and frankly, things only seem to get worse. So when I say we get it, we get it. We want to help. All we ask is to have the same help and respect back. Easy enough, right?”

 

Rhys smiled and turned his ECHO on and off out of habit. He felt a blush wash over his cheeks as he stared at their hands.

 

The caravan halted causing Rhys to fall over. Sasha snorted as Fiona walked towards the door,

 

“Time for dinner.”

 

Sasha and Rhys followed and the group stood in front of what looked like a small farm. Small and large animals surrounded the area but nothing too harmful. Athena showed the group of them how to handle each animal differently, while also killing something to make for the night. Rhys didn’t enjoy that part. The sun started to drop, they set up a fire within the land and it began to lightly snow. Everyone started heading back inside the caravan. Jack appeared in front of Rhys and caused him to yelp. The others looked back and Rhys laughed nervously,

 

“Snow fell in my eye. Scared me.”

 

Fiona laughed, “Baby.”

 

Jack stood, arms crossed and clearly not happy,

 

“Rhys. We need to talk.”

 

Rhys talked soft enough for only Jack to hear,

 

“I don’t want to talk to you.”

 

Jack laughed and stepped closer,

 

“Gonna’ have to eventually, cupcake.”

 

Rhys shuddered and turned away from the caravan.

 

They all went in and Vaughn hesitated, noticing Rhys.

 

“Hey. You coming? Early start tomorrow.”

 

Rhys looked at Jack and sighed,

 

“Just need more air. You know.”

 

Vaughn noticed Rhys’ eyes shift and sighed,

 

“Don’t need to lie to me bro. Just, maybe go talk somewhere else?”

 

Rhys rubbed his hand through his hair,

 

“Yeah. Sorry.”

 

He shrugged, “Don’t be. I’ll be here if you need to tune Jack out.”

 

Rhys smirked and watched as Vaughn shut the caravan door. He turned to see Jack tapping his foot. Rhys rolled his eyes and began walking back towards the farm area. He used his mechanical arm to open the barn and found a herd of weird and fluffy looking animals that seemed harmless.

 

Rhys sighed, “What do you want?”

 

Jack laughed, “Like you don’t know. That dream? Don’t appreciate you thinkin’ I’d do something like that.”

 

Rhys cocked his eye at him. He had no clue Jack could actually see or even be able to access his mind that way. Clearly, Jack did more then just hack his subsystems.

Jack chuckled, “Actually. Yeah. You’re right I would. Ha. Still. I didn’t. So, what gives?”

 

Rhys threw his hands up, “Jack, you TOLD ME we’d BOTH have control of that facility. And then you went off, taking full control and shooting around the place like it was nothing.”

 

Jack smiled, “Put on a great show though, didn’t I?”

 

Rhys was stunned, “Uh, actually no. It was terrifying. We could’ve died! Do you never think about ricochet bullets? Those can still kill people!”

 

Jack rolled his eyes, “Oh please. If I wanted anyone dead, they would be dead.”

 

Rhys was beginning to raise his voice without meaning to, “And was it not you who told me you’d kill anyone who lived on Pandora?”

 

Jack paused and smiled, “I’m surprised _you_ remembered.”

 

Rhys groaned, “OH. MY. GOD, Jack. If you weren’t busy enough being up your own ass you’d maybe see things the way I do.”

 

Jack pointed a finger gun at him and winked, “And here we are now. I’ve literally been in you Rhys. Both physically and mentally. Feelin’ yeah perfectly fine, kiddo. Besides, I had _full_ control. I wasn’t going to hurt your pathetic friends… a lot.”

 

Rhys crossed his arms, “That’s not the point Jack. You told me to believe you and I put my trust in you…again. And you nearly got us killed.”

 

Jack laughed and wiggled his finger in Rhys’ face, “But I didn’t. In fact, I got you all out of there!”

 

Rhys was fed up. He found a stool and sat down, bouncing his legs. Jack sighed,

 

“Listen kiddo. I think we need to re-start. Build up again. Go back to us working together.”

 

Rhys avoided Jack’s gaze and put his head in his hands,

 

“Jack, it’s kind of hard to rebuild something when you’ve been gone for a year and all of a sudden show up.”

 

Jack smirked, “Eh, it’s complicated. I get it, but Rhysie? You gotta’ think about this. You will die. Probably. You hearin’ me? I can’t and I won’t let that happen. But I’m here to help.”

 

Rhys huffed, “Sure.”

 

Jack stepped closer, “Tsk tsk. See, I’m sensing some lack of trust here buddy.”

  
Rhys glared at him, “Maybe because you betrayed my trust and decided it was an okay thing to, oh I don’t know, have a mass murder! At least Fiona’s plan didn’t include DEATH!”

 

Jack laughed, “Pfft. Okay yeah. Throw a flash grenade and then what?”

 

Rhys was stunned, “I don’t know.”

 

Jack threw his arms up, “At least I HAD a plan. I kept everyone you asked me to keep safe, SAFE! I kept my word.”

 

Rhys rubbed his eyes and noticed he was shaking slightly but he allowed Jack to distract him for the time being.

 

Jack continued, “I’m-I need you to trust me, Rhysie. And I need to hear it from you. I’m all for getting this vault and for getting out of your head but I can’t do that unless we work together. And I’m a team player. Just ask Athena, she’ll tell yeah. I was always there for my team.”

 

Rhys leaned back against the barn and crossed his arms, “And what if I can’t trust you again?”

 

Jack stepped even closer, inches away from Rhys’ face,

 

“I guess we’re going to have an interesting time, aren’t we babe?”

 

Rhys shuddered but kept his face strong, “Well?”

 

Jack smirked, “Let’s just say you might have to trust someone you don’t want to. Do that and both of us might just make it out alive. Kay? Kisses.”

 

Jack flickered out of sight and Rhys was sitting alone in the barn, hearing the ambiance of the barn. A soft humming and purring came from the animals. He rubbed his hands together and noticed his skin glistening with sweat but his hands had at least stopped shaking. He took a big breath and nodded to himself as he got up and made his way back to the caravan. The group huddled around the couches and floor either already sleeping or just closing their eyes but Rhys’ mind was racing. He looked to Gortys who was sitting on the caravan driver seat, pretending to drive. Rhys smirked and walked towards her.

 

“Mind telling me where to go?”

 

Gortys smiled up to Rhys, “It would be MY pleasure!”

 

With that, the group slept while Gortys and Rhys took turns driving towards the next piece of the puzzle. Gortys was curious and wanted to try driving so Rhys controlled the gas while she took the wheel. She was giggling and enjoying every moment. Rhys kept that to himself and noticed Gortys was getting sleepy. He took the wheel and handed her off to LB.

 

Jack took a back seat and prepared his own plans by watching and studying every move, every person and every idea that crossed Rhys’ mind. One person that kept popping up was Jack - the time they had together - and another figure that Jack felt a bit disgusted by. Jack shook his head and refused to feel the jealousy that crept up. Sasha and Rhys holding hands. Why was that on Rhys’ mind? Jack chuckled to himself.

 

_Gotcha._

 

 

 

 

Snow fell and began to pick up speed and size. For the fourth time, Rhys had to turn up the heat in the car.

 

Fiona laughed, “That’s as high as it goes.”

 

Rhys looked towards her and let go of the heat dial.

 

“Care to explain why? I’m freezing.”

 

Jack huffed, “Even _I’m_ cold.”

 

Fiona looked over at Sasha, “Blame her. She spilled milk into it one too many times.”

 

Sasha blushed as she over heard them, “I WAS TEN!”

 

Rhys smirked, “Suurrreee. Trying to sabotage, I see how it is.”

 

Sasha pretended to be grumpy, “That’s not at allll what I planned.”

 

Athena cleared her throat, “I think we should find proper shelter, park and wait for the storm to pass over. It’s only getting worse and it’s better we have a functioning crew and car while we’re ahead of the game. Actually, pull up to the right. Follow the road. I know a town a friend runs.”

 

No one protested as Rhys pulled up a map on his ECHO and found the smaller town not too far off. Just as they pulled in, the blizzard began to pick up. They ran out of the caravan and right into the town. They stuck close as they followed Athena and entered the first building only to find themselves surrounded by guns. They all put up their hands except Athena. She stepped forward and addressed the room,

 

“Didn’t expect this here.”

 

One person hesitantly put their gun down and smirked, “We’re always careful. You should know that.”

 

Everyone looked at Athena who smiled for the first time and it scared Rhys the most. Jack smirked,

 

“ALLLL the secrets Rhysie.”

 

Jack continued to giggle as the rest of the group put their guns down. The man looked around the room and shouted,

 

"Everyone out"

 

The bandits groaned and complained but the man didn't budge. One bandit walked up to him, "Awe come on Timmy. We just got here."

 

He put his hand up, "Ah ah. I said out."

 

They all shuffled out of the door. A few with their drinks and a few dropped glasses but the man paid no attention. He was smiling towards Athena. "Was not expecting this."

 

The man walked towards Athena and gave her a hug,

 

“What are you all doin’ in town? Bit random to see you. Isn’t Springs-”

 

“Waiting for me at Scooters? Yeah. She has no clue I’m on a job.”

 

The man chuckled, “Oh man, if you get killed, she’s gonna’ kill you.”

 

Athena shrugged, “I can handle it.”

 

Rhys tapped Athena’s arm and whispered, “Who is this, exactly?”

 

Athena double took and face-palmed, “Right. Sorry. Introductions. Everyone, this is Tim. Uh…Tim?”

 

He put his hand out and slowly shook everyone’s hand. Rhys stared at him and couldn’t place where he’d seen him before.

 

“Names Timothy. Some call me Tim. Others call me… I’d seriously just prefer Tim.”

 

He hesitated as he shook Rhys’ hand, looking down at his shirt,

 

“Hyperion?”

 

He pulled his gun on Rhys. Jack was laughing but Rhys was immediately backing up,

 

“Wow! Relax. I’m not with them anymore-”

 

He wasn’t smiling anymore, “Bullshit.”

 

Athena stepped between them, “Tim, he’s telling the truth.”

 

He stared at Rhys and glanced at Athena.

 

“No one just leaves Hyperion. I should know.”

 

Rhys stuttered, “I-I can explain. Tried to screw off my boss, and now _I’ve_ got a target on my head. _We’ve_ got targets on our heads.”

 

Tim didn’t shift. He stared at Rhys, squinting, “Funny. I recognize you kid…No. HA. What’d you say your name was?”

 

Jack laughed, nodding his head, “Spit it out pumpkin.”

 

Rhys sighed, “It’s Rhys.”

 

Tim chuckled, “Well I’ll be damned. Jack told me about you.”

 

Jack wasn’t laughing anymore. Rhys began smiling as he put his guard down,

 

“Oh really? And what exactly did he say?”

 

Tim lowered his gun and snorted, “Sure you want me telling everyone here?”

 

Rhys blushed and noticed everyone but Vaughn glaring at him. Vaughn was avoiding him altogether.

 

“Uh, never mind. We’ll talk later.”

 

Athena cleared her throat, “Anyways Tim. We've actually came to see if we can crash here? You owe me one after everything.”

 

Tim rubbed his head and sighed, “Yeah. I do. Of course you can stay. You all beat the storm before she got ugly. Stay as long as you need. There are some rooms upstairs if you want.”

 

Athena smiled and nudged her head sideways,

 

“You heard the man.”

 

They headed towards the key counter and found proper rooms for each of them. Sasha, Fiona and Athena shared one room while Vaughn, Rhys and the bots shared another. After Rhys continued to complain about the cold, Tim helped them gather extra blankets to keep warm.

 

“If you guys need anything else, don’t hesitate to ask.”

 

LB gave him a thumbs up and Gortys wheeled over to Tim, hugging him around his legs,

 

“Thank you!”

 

Tim was stunned, “Uh, you’re welcome? Ha.”

 

Rhys smirked, “Gortys, the man has other things to do. You can let him go.”

 

Gortys backed up and smiled, “Can I help you with your other things?”

 

Tim chuckled, “Nooo. I’ve got paper work, boring human tasks. Maybe another time.”

 

Gortys thought for a moment, “OH! What about coffee?”

 

Vaughn noticed Tim’s irritation and stepped in, “Actually buddy, we could use some help putting our beds together, what do you say?”

 

Gortys shrugged, “Well alright!”

 

Tim nodded and glanced at Rhys, “I’ll uh… chat with you later.”

 

Rhys tired to stop Tim but he shut the door and left him staring blankly. Rhys rubbed his arm and looked back at the beds, inviting him in. Jack reappeared, smirking a bit too much, spread across the bed,

 

“Come on kitten. Shut eye awaits.”

 

Rhys groaned and Vaughn noticed,

 

“Jack?”

 

Jack smirked, “Yes?”

 

Rhys nodded, “Yeah.”

 

Vaughn sighed and helped Gortys on to the bed, “Not to be pushy but…isn’t it about time we tell them?”

 

Jack sat up, “Wow no. Not this again. Come on Rhysie, I already said it’s a bad idea. It’ll kill the mood, probably kill you and ruin the whole game plan.”

 

Rhys ignored Jack, “I want to but how do we even go about doing that? _Hey, I have Handsome Jack in my head_?”

 

Vaughn snorted, “Maybe not like that.”

 

Gortys spoke up, “Who’s Jack?”

 

They looked over and Rhys forgot they weren't alone, “Sort of hard to explain.”

 

She smiled up, “I’m sure I can handle it.”

 

Jack smirked, “Pfft, doubt it.”

 

Rhys rolled his eyes, “Listen, Gortys, mind not telling anyone what I said? I’m exhausted. I’m sure you are too. Can we just talk about this tomorrow?”

 

Vaughn waited a few minutes before climbing into bed, “Fine.”

 

LB took Gortys into their arms and curled onto the floor, “GOODNIGHT HUMANS.”

 

Rhys rolled onto the bed where Jack laid right next to him. Rhys closed his eyes,

 

“Goodnight.”

 

Jack chuckled lightly, “We’ll see.”

 

 

 

 

_“Fiona, please. I can explain.”_

_Fiona cocked her gun, “Enough explaining Rhys!”_

_Sasha shook and aimed her gun, “Yeah Rhys. Why are you only telling us this now?”_

_“I don’t know, okay? I panicked and it just never seemed right?”_

_Fiona shot Rhys’ arm, causing Rhys to fall, “BULLSHIT. You’ve been lying about everything, haven’t you?”_

_Rhys held his arm, trying to stop it from gushing blood, “No. Please. You have to believe me!”_

_Sasha aimed her gun at his head, tears streaming down her face, “I thought we could.”_

_She pulled the trigger._

 

 

Rhys jumped out of bed and screamed. Vaughn woke up and immediately bounced over. Jack was laughing and pointing at Rhys, “YOU JUMPED LIKE TEN FEET. That was like a cartoon. OH MUFFIN, MY SIDES. HAHAHA.”

 

Rhys grinded his teeth and threw a pillow at Jack, only causing it to bounce and fall towards Vaughn.

 

“Fuck off, Jack.”

 

Jack smirked, “Language.”

 

Vaughn picked up the pillow and sighed, “Bad dream?”

 

Rhys huffed, crossing his arms, “Bad life.”

 

Jack chuckled, “Just seeing what’s coming if you keep trusting-”

 

Fiona burst in scaring Rhys and Vaughn. She cheered briefly, “BREAKFAST! Sasha cooked up a storm!”

 

She left the door opened, while Rhys and Vaughn held their chests. Vaughn’s stomach growled loudly and caused Rhys to laugh, lightening the mood.

 

“I feel that.”

 

They headed down together where Sasha presented pancakes and bacon for everyone. Rhys thought his stomach would explode just from the sight but his hunger demolished nearly everything on his plate. Tim and Athena weren’t around which made Rhys a bit on edge. He picked at his last few pieces of bacon and pushed them aside. Vaughn looked over,

 

“Gonna’ finish that?”

 

Rhys smirked, “Go for it.”

 

Vaughn took the pieces and chewed, smirking up at Rhys. Sasha noticed and huffed,

 

“Don’t like my cooking?”

 

Rhys sighed and raised his eyebrow, “Nah. Hated every bit.”

 

Fiona nudged him, “Lucky she cooked and not me. I’d burn the pancakes.”

 

Sasha laughed, “ _Just_ the pancakes?”

 

Everyone chuckled as Tim and Athena entered the packed kitchen area. Tim nodded at everyone and smiled,

 

“This is the busiest I’ve seen this place. It's nice for a change.”

 

Sasha grabbed two plates and served Athena and handed Tim a plate but he sighed,

 

“I’ve actually gotta’ head out. I appreciate it though.”

 

Sasha frowned, “Anything we can do to help?”

 

Tim thought about it but looked to Athena. She shrugged, “Whatever you need.”

 

Tim smiled and crossed his arms, “Any of you down to help me shovel? Need to clear out a path for everyone and dig out the caravan.”

 

Everyone groaned. Sasha and Fiona were the first to pitch in and followed Tim outside. Vaughn and Rhys had no clue how to deal with snow. They never had to deal with weather this extreme before. On top of that, Rhys felt like he was barely staying awake. His mind was falling apart and he found himself dozing off at the table. Jack wouldn’t stop scaring him or popping up randomly. Rhys checked in with Athena,

 

“Any chance I can sit this one out? I’m exhausted.”

 

She exhaled out of her nose, “You haven’t even done anything.”

 

He rubbed his arm, “I-I know but I couldn’t sleep. My mind’s been shit.”

 

She rolled her eyes and sighed, “Fine. But as soon as you wake up, you help with _something._ Tim’s been too generous to us.”

 

Rhys ears perked up, “Speaking of. What was he talking about? He owes you?”

 

Athena crossed her arms and frowned, “What’s it matter to you?”

 

Rhys shrugged, “It’s kind of concerning.”

 

Athena shoved past Rhys and began to walk outside, “It’s none of your business.”

 

She slammed the door and left Rhys with his jaw open. Jack appeared and scuffed,

 

“Couldn’t be more blunt with that one, Rhysie.”

 

Rhys grinded his teeth and tried to ignore the comment. As everyone cleaned up breakfast and began clearing some of the snow, Rhys headed to the room, curled himself up into a ball and hid his eyes from the light. That didn’t stop Jack from popping his head into the covers, floating next to Rhys’ face. Rhys flinched and squeezed his eyes shut.

 

“Could you not?”

 

Jack hummed, “What?”

 

“You know exactly what. Just let me sleep.”

 

Jack thought about it, “Uh nah. I wanna’ talk.”

 

Rhys threw the covers off, “We already talked!”

 

Jack shook his head, “That was different. I wanna talk now.”

 

“Why?”

 

Jack put his hands on the back of his head, “Wondering what you’re planning.”

 

Rhys was taken aback a bit. “I thought you had _access_ to my mind.”

 

Jack smirked, “You’re a genius Rhys. Figure that one out yourself?”

 

Rhys crossed his arms and sat up, “Well?”

 

Jack sighed and closed his eyes briefly, “I can only see images but your thoughts only come and go when you are already balls deep. Ha.”

 

Jack chuckled and Rhys’ face grew hot. Clearly, Jack noticed and purred,

 

“Been a while, cupcake?”

 

Rhys avoided Jack’s eyes, “Ha. Yeah. Since you-”

 

Jack stopped for a minute and sat up. Stunned, “What? You didn’t bang someone after I died?”

 

Rhys frowned, “Why would I? I was devastated. Plus, never really found anyone else I felt… _that_ comfortable with.”

 

Jack smirked, “Cute. Well, maybe I can ease some pain.”

 

Rhys felt his arm go limp and Jack took control. Rhys sat up and immediately felt sick. Jack stared at Rhys intensely and used Rhys’ arm to grab his lower region. Rhys’ immediately fought with his arm and grabbed it.

 

“WO-W NO JACK.”

 

Jack started laughing and continued to fight with Rhys, “OH COME ON! It’ll be fun. Let’s experiment.”

 

Rhys shook his head and pushed himself too far and fell off the bed, knocking his head and gaining his arm back. Jack crossed his arms and grumbled like a child,

 

“Fine. See if I care.”

 

Rhys rubbed his head and stood back up, wobbling briefly.

 

“You. Are an asshole.”

 

Jack chuckled and sighed, “Yeah. But I’m YOUR asshole.”

 

Jack continued to slowly grow into a fit of laughter as Rhys curled back on the bed and forced his eyes to stay shut. Jack’s laughing died down, as his voice was closer to Rhys,

 

“Rhysieee. I’m bored.”

 

Rhys was ready to knock himself out at this point, “Don’t care.”

 

Jack whined, “But you’re the caring tyypppeee.”

 

Rhys covered his ears, knowing it wouldn’t make a difference. Jack continued to groan,

 

“Rhhyyyssss.”

 

Rhys squeezed his eyes tighter but he felt Jack trying to grab his arm and failing,

 

“RHYSIIEEEEE.”

 

Rhys expected more but Jack went silent. He removed his hands from his ears and rolled over, only to find Jack staring at him. Rhys yelped and sighed,

 

“Jesus Jack!”

 

Jack stared, “I can’t help it when I’m BORED.”

 

Rhys sighed, “Go float around somewhere.”

 

Jack sighed and played with his thumbs. Rhys waited for another witty remark but noticed Jack’s demeanor change,

 

“Remember when we made… ha. Assquez bring us food? And we were completely smashed?”

 

Rhys had and it was one of his favourite memories with Jack. But that was the past,

 

“Uh, yeah. I was there.”

 

Jack sighed and stared at Rhys again, “You took it too far.”

 

Rhys froze and raised his brow, “Excuse me?”

 

Jack rolled over and was mere inches from Rhys’ face.

 

“It was more for you than it was for me. I screwed around. It’s what I do.”

 

Rhys never expected this from Jack and was not ready to have this conversation, nor was he ever expecting to be talking to a dead guy. But here he was, chatting to Jack. Rhys' head started to throb and he sat up,

_Guess we’re having this conversation._

“What Jack? Why bring this up?”

 

Jack sat up and pulled his hand through his hair,

 

“It popped up in your head. Plus, you refusing to play around? I don’t know. I’m bored and that’s the thing I wanna chat about.”

 

Rhys sighed and crossed his arms, “Well? Go on.”

 

Jack smirked, “I wanna hear it from you. What did you expect after I came back – IF I had come back.”

 

Rhys shrugged. To be honest, he wasn’t even sure anymore. It had been so long.

 

“I guess to start off fresh? I don’t know, why _this_ all of a sudden Jack? I’d rather just sleep-”

 

Jack cut him off, “You dream about it. Not that I enjoy it. A lot. Maybe a little. But it confuses me. Because if I remember correctly, I told you I would be okay with seeing you around. I never said I liked you.”

 

Rhys frowned. He didn’t need this. He rolled back over but this time, Jack pushed onto his port, shocked Rhys and gained control to force him to sit up. Rhys felt sick again and clenched his jaw,

 

“Jack, please.”

 

“Tsk tsk. I asked you a question. And I want a freakin’ answer.”

 

Rhys struggled against himself, “I-I don’t know, okay?”

 

“Nah, you do. What, thought we were close? Shared a bed a few times, fucked around once and you expected what? A life long relationship?”

 

Rhys had thought of that but it had all but crumbled before him, “Jack just let it go-”

 

Jack held his anger but he’s yells stood out, “I WANT AN ANSWER.”

 

Rhys yelled back, “I THOUGHT YOU CARED OKAY?! CLEARLY I WAS WRONG! Happy?”

 

Jack smirked and immediately went back to his casual tone, “Thank you.”

 

Jack let go of Rhys and Rhys rubbed his arms, feeling the weird numbness return to feeling. He felt his breathing getting hitched and tried to stay calm, but one thing bothered him.

 

Rhys barely got it out, “Why?”

 

Jack smirked, “Why what?”

 

Rhys looked down and put his legs to his chest, “If you didn’t care, why did you say goodbye before you left?”

 

Jack wasn’t smiling anymore. He was stunned and kept his mouth tightly closed.

 

Rhys asked again, but louder, “If none of that mattered to you, none of that shit, then why did you say goodbye?”

 

Jack groaned, “I don’t know. Kay? It just felt wrong up and leavin’ yeah to dry.”

 

Rhys couldn’t believe it, “Well, you did worse than that, didn’t you? Up and left and NEVER came back. You know what that was like?”

 

Tears streamed down his face but Jack didn’t move or even speak. Rhys held his knees closer, trying to calm himself. He forced out his words,

 

“You know, I hate admitting that I liked you anymore then a boss or a fling. To me, it was more. I admired you, you asshole. I felt sorry for you when others didn’t and I-”

 

Jack snarled, “No you didn’t kid. We fucked. That’s it. Sorry it wasn’t all you dreamt it would be.”

 

“No. It wasn’t. And it never will be. BUT NOW HERE WE ARE. Is this what I get for liking you? Now I have to LIVE with that regret?”

 

Jack shook his head, “Pfft, you didn’t regret a single thing about that night.”

 

Rhys growled, “Oh and what, you don’t?”

 

Jack smirked, “As a matter of fact no. I don’t.”

 

Rhys grabbed a pillow, rolled back down and turned his back to Jack, “Go fuck yourself, Jack.”

 

Jack hummed, “Language. And I would if I could Rhysie.”

 

He grinded his teeth and shut his eyes, “Oh stop it with the pet names. I’m getting SICK of them and of you.”

 

Jack popped up on his side of the bed, “You’re just getting annoyed that I never liked you. How many times do I have to keep repeating myself! But now you’re stuck with me and I’m stuck with you. We’re seeing each other all right. You got your wish Rhys.”

 

Rhys felt sick and _wished_ Jack were physically real. He would beat the shit out of him if he could but nothing was there to grab. Rhys wiped his eyes and crossed his arms,

 

“Just leave me alone, Jack.”

 

Jack bit his lip, “Ha. Yeah. Sure.”

 

Jack was gone and back into Rhys’ mind. Rhys wanted to scream, pull out his hair and knock himself out but nothing he would do or try would stop the fact that Jack was right. He was ALWAYS right. Rhys was too quick to trust and fell for a monster. Finally, he was seeing the bigger picture and it made him feel completely ashamed and disgusted with himself. He curled into himself further and shut his watered eyes, forcing himself to sleep.

 

 

_No matter what Rhys did, he couldn’t escape the men that chased him down. He tried to scream for help, but got the wind knocked out of him. Someone pulled Rhys by his hair towards a group of others. He couldn’t believe his eyes. It was Jack, smirking down at him._

_“You are sick.”_

_He smacked Rhys hard across the face._

 

 

Rhys woke with a scream and sweat pouring down his face. Jack was smiling at him from the ground.

 

“Something wrong, kitten?”

 

Rhys got his breath back and ran his hand through his slightly damp hair.

 

“Nightmare. Stop screwing with me.”

 

Jack shrugged and chuckled to himself, “Now why would _I_ do a thing like that?”

 

Rhys couldn’t go back to sleep and did his best to fake it but he heard Jack hum.

 

“I know you’re awake Rhysie. I’m in your head, remember?”

 

Rhys opened his eyes to Jack staring directly at him. Face completely in rage.

 

Rhys barely held his yelling, “Why?”

 

Jack sucked his teeth, “Why what?”

 

“Why can’t you just screw off?”

 

Jack grinded his teeth, “Ohhh you want me to screw off? Oh I’ll screw… off.”

 

Rhys lost control of his arm again. His eyes went wide as he realized Jack was controlling it and lifted it up to his neck and began choking Rhys.

 

“JA-!”

 

Jack was practically making Rhys’ ears bleed with his screaming, “OOOHHH. What? CHANGING YOUR MIND? I TOLD YOU RHYS, WE’RE STUCK TOGETHER. You want _me_ to screw off? We’ll BOTH need to be out for that to happen.”

 

Rhys was seeing stars before Jack released him, causing him to cough and turn over, regaining his air.

 

“Please. Just. Let me. Sleep.”

 

Jack huffed, “Be my guest Rhys. Because I can’t.”

 

Rhys looked over and watched Jack flicker out of sight. As much as he hated Jack in that moment, he felt sorry. He turned away and shut his eyes. Finally, sleep took over and for once, Jack left him alone.

 

 

 

 

“Time to wake up, bro.”

 

Rhys groaned and opened his eyes to Vaughn smiling down at him. He handed Rhys a cup of something orange. He mumbled something to Vaughn, which only made him laugh,

 

“Come on bro. You slept all day. Time for dinner.”

 

Rhys sat up, eyes wide and stared at Vaughn, “What?”

 

Vaughn crossed his arms and shrugged, “You…were kind of crying when I came to wake you. You seemed tired. So I did your portion of work.”

 

Rhys felt his stomach drop, “Vaughn, I’m sorry.”

 

He bit his lip, “It doesn’t matter now. Just… come on down. And Rhys?” Vaughn paused before leaving, “I think it’s time you told everyone.”

 

Rhys sighed and rubbed his arms, “Jack won’t be too happy.”

 

He shrugged, “What’s the worst that can happen?”

 

Jack appeared, “We get shot and die.”

 

Rhys ignored him, “Anything can happen, Vaughn.”

 

He opened the door wider for Rhys, “Only one way to find out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not even kidding, I almost cried while writing this chapter. Things only get worse/sad from here. But look at that, we're already half way through this long...weird and confusing story XD
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for sticking around :3 Next batch of chapters will be up within the next week or so!
> 
> IF ANYTHING gets delayed in my writing, I'll TRY to post at least ONE chapter but after that, I don't know how long it'll be before the next batch.


	19. Where the Truth, Lies.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhys struggles to tell the group that Jack is with them, in his head. Meanwhile, Gortys finds the location of one of her pieces and the team must break up to retrieve it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit of a slow one. It has a LOT of detail mostly for Rhys and for semi-world building. AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING WOOOO. 
> 
> Other than that, Jack's an asshole. WHO KNEW?!

Laughter and talking echoed throughout the kitchen area. Rhys and Vaughn entered, grabbing plates of food. Fiona smirked,

 

“Look who’s rejoined the living!”

 

Rhys avoided her eyes and nervously laughed, “Ha. Yeah.”

 

Sasha spoke up, “How’s the brain train?”

 

He sighed, “Could be better.”

 

She smiled, “Hopefully keeps getting better. Just so you know, gotta’ clean the caravan off before we head out. Think you can handle that?”

 

He sat by Tim and nodded toward Sasha, “Yeah. To make it up, I’ll drive first.”

 

Rhys and Sasha shared a smile as he attempted to eat food. Athena finished and pushed her plate against Rhys’.

 

“So Tim. Rhys. Would love to hear how you two know each other.”

 

Rhys choked on his food, “We- don’t actually-”

 

Tim patted Rhys’ back, “Yeah. Probably walked by each other. I was saying to Vaughn earlier that he looked familiar too-”

 

Tim continued his story but Rhys couldn’t hear him as Jack flickered into sight and huffed, crossing his arms, “Tim-Tams here is-WAS my body double. Clearly got some of his old features back. Guess surgery didn’t stop that.”

 

Rhys briefly studied the man, finally picking up on the Jack like features. He had scars from where the latches for the mask should’ve been. The vault symbol was barely visible as a beard and other scars took up most of Tim’s face. Rhys realized he had in fact encountered Tim once before but rumors had it that he died on Opportunity.

 

Tim spoke up, “You okay Rhys?”

 

Rhys was staring into space, “Uh? Yeah. Sorry.”

 

Vaughn poked, “I was wondering Tim, how _did_ you…”

 

Tim laughed, “Survive? Yeah. It’s a long story.”

 

Vaughn leaned in, “Awe come on!”

 

Rhys perked up, “Yeah. We’ve got time.”

 

Jack clicked his teeth, “Yeah Tim-Tams. I’d LOVE to hear this one.”

 

Tim looked at Athena, waiting for an interruption but she nodded and smirked. He smiled and closed his eyes as he put the story back together.

 

“Well, Athena here saved my ass.”

 

Jack laughed, “You’re kidding.”

 

Tim continued throughout Jack’s interruption, which only Rhys had to deal with.

 

“We stayed close after the whole ordeal with Jack on Elpis.”

 

Rhys leaned forward, “You were there?”

 

Tim nodded, “Yep. Was scary and every moment I thought I’d die but there I was. Jack was the one chance I had to stay afloat. So I followed his direction and here we are.”

 

Rhys crossed his arms and flinched as Jack came into view. Jack sighed,

 

“See Rhys. He listened to me. But you? Nah. I see your dreams. I know what you want Rhysie. You won’t listen. And that's why we're - you're gonna’ die.”

 

Rhys almost responded to Jack but cleared his throat and continued, “But how? Opportunity-”

 

Tim’s eyes went wide and he clicked his fingers, “Right! Sorry. Mind hasn’t been the same since. Uh. Well, long story short, got a nice tip from Athena. She had entail on this chick Lilith. You know, Firehawk crazy chick? Overheard they were looking for a voice module and were coming straight to Opportunity. I was terrified but I was paid to not only be a body double but if harm arrived, I had to die for Jack.”

 

Tim paused for a moment and sighed, pushing his food aside. Rhys had noticed and tried to tell Tim it would be fine and didn’t need to continue but Jack shut him down,

 

“Ah tsk tsk. Let the man finish.”

 

Rhys looked down and crossed his arms as Tim continued, “If you knew Jack…from what I’ve heard you did, you know how easily you can fall into the guy. You believe every word he says and maybe on the surface he means to help, but deep down he only cares about himself.

 

Rhys laughed, “You can say that again.”

 

Jack flipped off Rhys, “Don’t care about either of you. Actually, feeling attacked right now.”

 

Tim smirked, “Yeah. At the beginning, it was fine but once it finally hit me what I would be going through and what Jack was capable of, pfft, I never enjoyed working for him and-”

 

Jack crossed his arms and clenched his jaw, “That sonofabitch. Can’t trust ANYONE!”

 

Rhys flinched as Jack swiped at Tim, but nothing happened.

 

Tim laughed, “Thankfully, Jack never kept a tracker on me or anything. I was able to switch with another double for a week and Athena was right. During the week, the vault hunters charged in and unfortunately, that double got killed. His name was Dillon. Good guy-”

 

Jack stood through the table in front of Rhys, “You know, I’m GLAD I tortured him.”

 

Rhys lost his appetite and dropped his fork. Jack looked away from Rhys and stared directly at Tim,

 

“I HAD to torture him. Needed to make sure he was serious about the plans. He was the first to get surgery and well - Should’ve done more. Did stupid copies. BUT TIM… we had to do his face while he was awake. Hahaha. OOOHH I can remember his SCREAMS.”

 

Rhys felt like he could hear them too. He instinctively grabbed his ears and tried to sound them out but they only grew worse. Rhys dropped his hands in defeat and could barely hear Tim as he continued to tell his story,

 

“The guy was an asshole, but he cared for people at the beginning. After the vault, it’s like he changed. And I don’t mean that physically, I mean, everything.”

 

Jack tried to wrap his hands around Tim’s throat, “Would LOVE to shut him UP.”

 

The screams only grew worse. Rhys began shaking as Tim continued but he couldn’t hear anything. Rhys couldn’t handle it anymore,

 

“SHUT UP!”

 

Everyone froze, bringing everyone’s breathing to a halt. Sasha huffed and crossed her arms, "Wow. Rhys."

 

Tim looked over, unsure and a bit frustrated, "I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?"

 

Rhys was shaking and Vaughn noticed, placing his fork down, "Rhys?"

 

"I can't do this."

 

Tim cocked his eye at him, "Do what?"

 

Jack appeared and realized all too late what Rhys was up to. "RHYS!-"

 

"Jack's in my head."

 

Fiona chuckled, "Jack who?"

 

Rhys choked on his own words, his voice growing weak as he talked. "THE Jack."

 

Vaughn sighed and nodded his head, "Handsome Jack."

 

The entire table went silent except for the sound of cutlery falling. Tim's face grew pale and Rhys tried to avoid him, but his eyes found their way up to Tim’s. Tim barely got out his words,

 

"Bullshit."

 

Jack laughed, “I think he wants us to-”

 

“Prove it.” Tim finished.

 

Jack looked at Rhys and crossed his arms, "Okay. How? I snap his neck?"

 

Rhys rolled his eyes, "You know how Jack. Just do it."

 

Jack smirked and touched Rhys port, gaining a small yelp from Rhys and felt his entire body spark and convulse. Tim jumped out of his chair and ran next to Rhys. Rhys felt his eyes open but saw his hand rise, grabbing Tim by the collar,

 

“Oh Tim-Tams you really need to shut your mouth.”

 

Rhys didn’t say that. Jack was controlling Rhys but only loosely. Just in case, Rhys was holding on ever so tightly. Rhys felt his face smirk,

 

"Been a while, Tim-Tams. How's the family?"

 

Tim grabbed a bottle from the table and smashed it over Rhys’ head. Everything went black for a moment until he awoke with Vaughn at his side.

 

 

“Bro, you back?”

 

Rhys shook his head and lifted his arm, realizing he was back in control.

 

_Thank you._

“Y-yeah. I think.”

 

Tim pointed his gun at Rhys but Vaughn stayed where he was.

 

“You sonofabitch.”

 

He cocked his gun but Vaughn pulled his hands up, “WOW. Hold on. Let us explain.”

 

Tim looked around, stunned, "US?! You assholes planned this??"

 

Athena shouted, “ _You_ need to calm down and let the man explain.”

 

Tim spat in her face, “You all knew didn’t you? You come in here and lie to me?”

 

Athena froze and looked at the others, “Did you know?”

 

By Sasha and Fiona’s dumbstruck faces, Athena found her answer, “Tim, look! This wasn’t a set up.”

 

_Jack, I can’t do this anymore._

Jack grinded his teeth, “Don’t. You. Dare.”

 

Rhys began to panic and cry. Everyone froze and Tim barely moved his gun from Rhys’ direction.

 

Sasha spoke first,

 

“What the hell?”

 

Fiona held her gun at Tim, “This wasn’t what I expected.”

 

Tim didn’t flinch and held his grip on the gun,

 

“Yeah. I’d say the same for him.”

 

Everyone looked to Rhys. He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat and slowly sat up, hands raised,

 

“Listen, I can explain-”

 

Tim laughed, “I don’t wanna’ hear it you Hyperion bastard.”

 

“TIM!”

 

Tim looked up at Athena. He looked back to Rhys, sighed and lowered his gun. He spoke low, but harshly,

 

“The only person who has EVER called me that STUPID nickname was Jack.”

 

Athena stepped between everyone and looked towards Tim,

 

“This ends now.”

 

Tim didn’t flinch and grinded his teeth, “Not until he explains what the hell that was.”

 

Athena looked at Rhys. He sighed and sat up. Jack flickered into view and immediately began pacing,

 

“Rhys? What are you doing?”

 

Rhys looked around at everyone and sighed. Jack stood in front of him,

 

“Do not test me, Rhys.”

 

Rhys looked through him and at Tim’s eyes.

 

“I’m sorry, Jack likes to screw around…”

 

Tim shook his head, “Screw around how?”

 

Rhys exhaled through his nose loudly. Jack was right in Rhys’ face.

 

“Last warning.”

 

Rhys backed up slightly and noticed his hands were shaking again. Jack tried to touch Rhys’ port but Rhys held on as hard as he could, feeling the sparks and shocks travel down his body and for once, his mind won. Rhys felt relief, terror and confusion all in one. He began panicking and Vaughn stood by him. He looked towards his friend and nodded,

 

“Happy?”

 

Vaughn sighed and shook his head, “Let’s do this.”

 

Rhys looked at Tim, “That, was Jack. And I’ll say it again. Jack. Handsome goddamn Jack. He’s really in my head.

 

Tim looked Rhys up and down and smiled. He waltzed over to Rhys and punched him, causing Rhys to fall to the floor. Again. He didn’t even bother trying to get up this time. Athena pulled Tim off and held him far but he continued to yell at Rhys,

 

“YOU FUCKING TRAITOR! YOU DID THIS ALL YOU ASSHOLE! YOU ARE. PATHETIC.”

 

Rhys flinched but didn’t move. Vaughn was at his side trying to see if Rhys was okay but Rhys could already feel a burse forming around his eye. Athena was holding Tim,

 

Vaughn spoke to defend, “Only Rhys and I knew. No one else and I swear to you, we didn’t plan ANY of this. Everyone can vouch for that.”

 

Fiona crossed her arms, “I wouldn’t say that little guy. We barely know you two-”

 

Rhys laughed to him, “And yet we’ve been traveling together trying to find some stupid vault.”

 

Fiona glared at Rhys, “It’s not stupid.”

 

LB and Gortys rolled in and looked around. LB shrugged but Gortys rolled over to Rhys,

 

“Why are you laying on the ground?”

 

Rhys patted Gortys and stood up, “Fell.”

 

Tim broke his focus and struggled against Athena, “You found the drive didn’t you?”

 

That shut everyone up. Vaughn’s jaw was on the floor, “How did you-”

 

“I was Jack’s right hand man. Ha. What projects Jack knew, I knew. Nakayama? Right?”

 

Rhys nodded and pulled out the dead drive, “We lost access and thought his drive-”

 

“You thought wrong. So… it actually worked? Jack’s in your hand? THE Handsome Jack?”

 

Rhys put the drive away and held his flesh arm, avoiding everyone’s eyes, “As I said before. Yes.”

 

Everyone froze and stared at Rhys but he avoided all the eyes. He knew he was a dead man walking and in that moment, no one trusted him. Jack reappeared in front of Rhys,

 

“And the results Rhys. You happy with yourself?”

 

Rhys didn’t answer which caused Jack to smirk, “Thought so.”

 

Athena let go of Tim and they stood around, continuing to stare at Rhys. Tim got closer and was inches from Rhys’ face. He grabbed his collar and held him, teeth mashed together,

 

“How did the lackey end up in Jack’s palm?”

 

Jack talked out of the side of his mouth, “Someone came into my bed. Haha.”

 

Rhys ignored him and continued to avoid everyone, “I don’t know.”

 

Tim grabbed the drive out of Rhys’ pocket and pulled it in front of his face, “This?! You don’t know how you ended up with this?!”

 

Rhys pushed Tim off, “I told you how we got it. I didn’t ask for this.”

 

Tim threw it at him, “Well shit luck kiddo. You did. And every second I’m standing here talking to you, Jack’s probably plotting some shit in his stupid little head.”

 

Jack crossed his arms, “Noted.”

 

Tim put his fingers on the bridge of his nose and tried to hold back his anger,

 

“This is so fucked.”

 

No one moved except Athena. She looked at everyone and nodded.

 

“It’s time we leave.”

 

Slowly, they made there way out of the kitchen and into the cold. Rhys stayed put with Athena at his back. He looked towards Tim. He hesitated,

 

“Tim?”

 

He glared up to Rhys, “Whatever you have to say, I don’t want to hear it. If Jack really is here, listening, the less he knows the better.”

 

Jack smirked, “I’ll remember that.”

 

Athena pushed his back, “Come on.”

 

Rhys stopped at the door, “I’m sorry for what Jack did to you.”

 

Tim looked up wide-eyed and his face immediately turned red, “Get the fuck out.”

 

What Rhys thought would make the situation better had turned and made the situation worse. Athena led Rhys back to the caravan where he jumped in, not wanting to hear anymore of Jack’s joking around. Sasha stomped right to Rhys and slapped him hard across the face. Rhys closed his eyes.

 

_I deserved that._

Sasha’s eyes were glistening, “JACK? OF ALL PEOPLE. WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL US SOONER?”

 

Fiona came between them both and pushed Sasha back, “Relax. He’ll explain. Oh yes he will. But for now we need to keep heading to the piece. We can talk after we get moving.”

 

Sasha pushed past Fiona and sat in the drivers seat. Gortys rolled over to her and happily started giving directions. The caravan began rolling and Rhys felt eyes burning into him. Jack flickered into sight and looked at Rhys,

 

“You are so dead.”

 

Rhys rolled his eyes and looked at Fiona,

 

“I can explain.”

 

She sat on the couch and pushed a chair out for him,

 

“Then, start explaining.”

 

Rhys sat himself in the chair and Vaughn scooted closer. He looked at Vaughn and sighed, beginning the confusing story.

 

“It all started with finding Nakayama’s drive…”

 

 

 

 

A few hours later, Sasha and Gortys started cheering as they rounded a mountain and found in their view a giant purple dome, hidden near the top and bouncing the colours of the aura borealis off it’s glistening surface. Sasha pulled to the side, and giggled as she exited the caravan. Fiona smirked and followed. Everyone filed out and stared at the sight that waited before them. Athena pulled Rhys and held him back. He sighed,

 

“What?”

 

“I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”

 

Jack huffed, “Yeah. You too, babe.”

 

Rhys nodded, “I’m never safe with Jack. So. I know.”

 

Athena nodded and pointed Rhys to continue. Jack crossed his arms and huffed at Rhys,

 

“ _I’m never safe with Jack_? Really? Wow. My heart, Rhysie.”

 

Rhys snorted, “Screw off.”

 

They walked forward towards the dome and walked through a barrier. Immediately, warmth filled the area around them and the surrounding area had forests of weird, colourful and wonderful plants. Rhys could see things moving in the distance but the other sights were too overwhelming.

 

“Wow.”

 

Jack chuckled, “Gross.”

 

Sasha was laughing, “Amazing!”

 

Gortys yelled out, “YES! This way everyone!”

 

They all followed and ran after Gortys. LB had to tear away metal from a blocked building. They entered the building but the lights didn’t turn on. A blaring red light was poking out from one of the doors but it was an emergency exit sign. Fiona paused and looked around,

 

“This place doesn’t have a good vibe. Sure it’s here Gortys?”

 

Gortys shrugged, “Yeah…in this general vicinity….around the area. Within the dome.”

 

Everyone groaned but Gortys swiveled around, “Everyone STAARRTTT looking!”

Rhys noticed a computer and immediately began looking through the files. Athena was scouting some of the crates, while Fiona dug around on the higher platform, finding a map and other items that seemed a little out of place. She found clothes and even some money. Fiona looked towards Vaughn,

 

“Find anything?”

 

He was by an area that had kitchen appliances, “Looks like someone was definitely here. Foods been dug into. Even the coffee pots still full!”

 

Athena leaned against a wall and crossed her arms, “Someone’s been living here?”

 

Fiona nodded, “Definitely. And by the look of it, they’ve been here a while.”

 

Sasha looked over to Rhys and barely looked towards his face as she stared into the computer screen,

 

“Find anything?”

 

He looked toward her and tried to smile but she didn’t acknowledge him. Rhys sighed,

 

“The piece is definitely here. But it’s in a different sector. Heavily geared with turrets. But, nothing else.”

 

Sasha crossed her arms and glared at Rhys, “What about…Jack? Does he know anything else?”

 

Jack appeared and pointed at Sasha, “Did goggles just ask for help?”

 

Rhys rolled his eyes and sighed, “Jack, do you or no?”

 

Jack looked around and shook his head, “Atlas and Hyperion weren’t fond of each other. Whatever this facility is- was, it was hidden for a reason.”

 

Rhys sighed and shook his head, “Jack said he doesn’t know, except that if it was hidden, it was for a good reason.”

 

Gortys made a noise that caused Rhys to turn over. Fiona followed and aimed her gun at a new target. The frail man raised his hands,

 

“Please don’t kill me!”

 

Fiona held firm, “Have you been spying on us?!”

 

The man walked into view, “Please. I was just… Take what you need and just please don’t shoot.”

 

Athena groaned, “Listen, we aren’t here to kill you. We just need to find another Gortys piece and then we’ll be gone.”

 

The man smiled and rubbed his hands, “Thank you. Thank you. It’s rare finding others that are incredibly intelligent.”

 

Gortys rolled up to the man and waved, “Hi there!”

 

Fiona put her gun down, “That little robot is why we’re here. We need to find her upgrade and if you know anything about it-”

 

The man frowned, “OH. I know nothing. Nothing about it, At all. We should leave. In fact, I’ll leave-”

 

Athena stepped in, “Ah no. You’re not leaving. You’ve clearly been here long enough to scout the place, so where’s the piece?”

 

The man was shocked, “I nearly got here myself but a few days ago. I ran from soldiers who were killing my family and only got here-”

 

Sasha laughed, “What a load of crap. It was a blizzard out there. There’s no way you would’ve made it up here alive. Now cut the crap. We know you’ve been hulled up here so why the lies?”

 

The man clenched his jaw, “Very well. No more lies. Follow me.”

 

The man walked up to the higher platform and pointed his finger towards a further building,

 

“The piece is there. But it’s heavily armed, dangerous. Who knows what other things lurk around there.”

 

Fiona nodded, “Okay. That solves one issue. How do we get to security?”

 

He smirked and pointed a bit further down, “It’s a bit higher up, but along the walkway you’ll find it. I never went out there myself because of…well this place is incredibly dangerous. The damn building barely shook the other night and caused a collapse outside. I’ve been stuck here trying to get out but no ones been around lately. No one but me.”

 

Athena exhaled, “Great. Are we done talking now? Let’s move!”

 

Fiona rubbed her hands, “Well, that settles it. We hack into the systems, grab the piece and book it out of here.”

 

Gortys cheered, “Yay! That’s great! But how do we do this.”

 

Jack appeared and was staring at the man, “Great plan. Not like anyone’s gonna die or anything.”

 

Athena put her hands on her hips and paced. She looked towards everyone and thought out loud, “This would be a great opportunity to use as training, however, in spite of recent knowledge, I won’t have Rhys travelling alone.”

 

Sasha raised her hand, “I think I can handle him.”

 

Rhys frowned and rubbed his arm, “Sounds good.”

 

Vaughn raised his hand, “Uh. Any chance I could, you know. Chill here? I’ve had a bit of adventure forever.”

 

Athena shrugged, “Keep an eye on this guy. LB and Gortys can stay as well.”

LB gave a thumbs up and Vaughn nodded. The man crossed his arms, “I am not a prisoner.”

 

Athena smirked, “No but you were quick to lie. Therefore you are hiding more than you’re letting on.”

 

Jack chuckled, “Gotta’ admit it. She’s good.”

 

Athena nodded, “Great. Fiona. You’ll come with me. We’ll head directly to the piece, scout the area and grab the upgrade. Sasha and Rhys. You two will tackle the security. Take down any turrets and barriers in our way. We’ll meet back here after everything is done and Gortys? You’ll give us directions to what’s next.”

 

Gortys was wheeling around, “Alrighty captain!”

 

Athena and Fiona made way to the elevator where Fiona smiled at Sasha and was clearly excited to be working. Sasha waved and looked towards Rhys, who immediately looked away and avoided her eyes. She sighed and crossed her arms,

 

“Guess that leaves us, right?”

 

Rhys nodded and bit his lip, “Yep.”

 

Sasha hummed, “Hmm. Jack included, right?”

 

Rhys rubbed his hand through his hair as Jack appeared beside him. Rhys flinched and looked at Sasha, who was waiting for him to answer,

 

“What?”

 

Sasha rolled her eyes, “Really?”

 

Rhys felt his heart drop, “Sasha, please. I wanted to tell you guys-”

 

She threw her hands up in the air, “I don’t wanna’ hear it Rhys.”

 

He huffed to himself, “Well, I’m sorry. Okay?”

 

They were both silent until Rhys smirked to himself and crossed his arms, “Could always point a gun at me to make you feel better?”

 

At first Sasha glared at him but slowly brought her gun out and smiled, “That’s always a great idea.”

 

They walked forward until Vaughn cut them off,

 

“Anything I can search for while you guys are gone?”

 

Rhys thought about it, “Actually, see if you can find anymore on our mystery man. And hell, maybe even scrap something from what vault we’re chasing?”

 

Vaughn nodded, “This is perfect. On it bro!”

 

They parted as Sasha and Rhys made there way to the platform in silence. Rhys didn’t mind it and was happy to just be walking. Jack popped up and floated around,

 

“This is so boring.”

 

Rhys sighed and rubbed his arm. Sasha noticed, “Is he here?”

 

Jack chuckled, “Am I here? Wow, what brains, Goggles.”

 

Rhys nodded, “He’s always here.”

 

Sasha frowned, “That sucks, doesn’t it?”

 

Rhys laughed, “Ha. Yeah. No privacy. It’s annoying.”

 

Sasha nodded and hesitated, “Is-what’s it like?”

 

Rhys looked at Sasha, slightly taken aback, “Uh.. It’s interesting? I’ll give you that. Literally, no privacy. He’s always talking over people and he’s an asshole that’s constantly in my head. I’m sure you can imagine what it’s like.”

 

She laughed, “That does sound like hell.”

 

Rhys finally smirked, “You could say that.”

 

Jack glared at Rhys, “No. You two keep having fun. I’ll just be here. Listening to you insult me. Much appreciated.”

 

Rhys ignored him and just enjoyed the moment while it lasted. They came up to a broken part in the bridge. Sasha clapped, “Piece of cake.”

 

She ran and jumped across with ease. Jack hummed, “Goggles’ got skills.”

 

Sasha waved Rhys over, “Come on! It’s easy.”

 

Rhys looked over and noticed how high up they were, “You made that look way too easy.”

 

She sighed, “Just run and jump.”

 

Rhys backed up, “Easy for you to say.”

 

Rhys took a shaking breath, closed his eyes and broke into a run. He took the risky jump and made it.

 

Sasha giggled, “See? Told ye-”

 

The bridge creaked and began dropping. Rhys grabbed the bridge with his mechanical arm and caught Sasha with his regular one. She slipped and held onto his waist.

 

Sasha was panicking, “Oh god. Rhys. Whatever you do, don’t look down.”

 

Rhys laughed, “Great. Okay. Uh. I’m gonna’ try to climb. Arms not that strong though.”

 

He dragged them up as much as he could but the bridge continued to collapse further. Rhys felt Sasha grow a bit loose. She sighed,

 

“Rhys, I’m letting go.”

 

Rhys went wide-eyed and tried to climb further, “NO! SASHA I GOT THIS. JUST, HOLD ON!”

 

“Rhys. It’s fine.”

 

“NO. I WON’T LET YOU GO. FUCK. SASHA, HOLD ON!”

 

Sasha let go and Rhys turned to look, “NOOOOOOO- oh. We’re right at the ground.”

 

Sasha laughed and held her arms out, “You can let go.”

 

Rhys looked up and released the bridge, landing in Sasha’s arms. He smiled at her and she stared back, “Uh. You can get off me.”

 

Rhys realized and got off of Sasha’s arms, “Sorry. Okay. So. No high road. Where to?”

 

Sasha looked up and pointed, “We just follow from the ground. Bound to be another way up.”

 

Rhys nodded, “True. Lead the way?”

 

Sasha smiled and swaggered on, “Gladly.”

 

As they walked on, they crossed various dangerous plants and realized other creatures were in the forest with them. A group of blue creatures were floating around them harmlessly. Sasha bumped into one and giggled, pointing Rhys further,

 

“These are oddly wonderful.”

 

Rhys giggled and pushed one with his hand, giggling to himself, “Warm and fuzzy.”

 

They moved on and Sasha couldn’t help the gasp of amazement, “This is all so-“

 

“Beautiful” “Romantic”

 

Rhys blushed, “Uh yeah. Beautiful. What you said.”

 

Sasha rolled her eyes and giggled, “Real smooth.”

 

Jack sighed, “If you two are about to make out, I’m gonna’ stay in the back of your head. Kisses.”

 

Jack left them alone, which made Rhys happier then he expected. He ran forwards to Sasha and they came to a stop at a giant plant that had various flowers. Rhys grabbed one and stared at Sasha,

 

“Uh. I’m gonna’ put this in your hair. Please don’t stab me.”

 

She shrugged, “Uh. Okay.”

 

Rhys placed it in her hair and smiled to himself. She posed, “How do I look?”

 

Rhys couldn’t help but giggle, “Beautiful.”

 

Sasha blushed and avoided Rhys’ eyes briefly. He was blushing too but he meant it. The flower began moving, reacting and squirted out at Rhys. They both broke into laughter but immediately got interrupted by low screeching. Rhys noticed something out of his eye and looked up,

 

“Uh. Are they supposed to be red?”

 

Sasha turned and noticed the blue harmless creatures were glowing bright red and floating right to them. “I don’t think this is good.”

 

One of them came down and touched Sasha, burning her, “OUCH! Rhys!”

 

He grabbed her hand and began running. Sasha giggled and stopped Rhys, “Slow chase much.”

 

Rhys looked and realized the creatures were incredibly slow. They continued to walk and finally found another way up to the security tower. Rhys ECHO went off as Fiona was screaming at him,

 

“WHAT’S TAKING SO LONG?!”

 

Rhys winced, “We’re almost there! Sorry. Literally ran into a hole and were just headed in now!”

 

Rhys could hear Athena screaming, “WELL HURRY UP!”

 

Sasha and Rhys climbed onto the elevator but no power was in it. Rhys pulled out his stun baton and used the electricity to power it up. They began climbing until they reached the entrance. They pushed in and found the computer. Rhys logged in and found a security wall, which was easy for him to take down.

 

“Finally.”

 

He shut down the security systems and smirked to himself. But then other files on the man they encountered popped up.

 

“Look at this Sash.”

 

She leaned in and read, “Doctor Cassius? Oh no.”

 

“Yeah. He’s Atlas.”

 

Sasha pointed, “That’s not what I meant.”

 

Sasha was pointing at the window as they realized the creatures were just about to break in.

 

“Run?”

 

Sasha grabbed his hand and they ducked as the creatures came pouring in. They followed them out and Rhys went to hit them when he discovered his baton was gone.

 

_Great._

The creatures collided with Rhys and Rhys fell straight to the ground, smacking his head hard off the ground and knocking him unconscious.

 

 

_Don’t worry Rhysie. My turn to take the wheel for a few._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHH. Sorry, that was me internally screaming for the chapters that are coming next. I've already written them but I'm just taking time to get the other ones done before moving forward. I want to apologize if these past few chapters have been choppy or weird. I was having a hard time piecing my breakdown together and it became a bit of a mess, because I kept forgetting to add parts/ parts were missing. ASIDE FROM THAT, everything else is built and ready to go.
> 
> THANK YOU for reading my story and sticking around :3 It means the world to me and it's been a fun and interesting ride writing this fic :D
> 
> Hopefully it hasn't been too confusing or boring. Again, sorry about that XD JUST letting my mind puke out the thoughts and words!
> 
> ANYWHO, PREPARE FOR THE NEXT BATCH WOOO!


	20. Mind Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack takes a spin behind Rhys' mind while the group finds themselves involved with the devil herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jack's an asshole and this leading up chapter is killer...

“WHOO. Oh MAN I forgot how great this feels.”

 

Rhys waltzed in to the main building as the group gathered. He walked straight to Vaughn,

 

“Oh. It’s great to see yeah Abs! Find anything for good ol’ me?”

 

Vaughn double took, “Jack?”

 

Jack smirked, “You know, I always thought you were a dweeb. But you’re actually like… ABS.”

 

Fiona cocked her eye at Rhys, “What’s going on?”

 

Jack walked over, “Awe, don’t worry your pretty little head, Hat.”

 

Fiona gawked, “Hat?”

 

Vaughn sighed, “I think that’s Jack.”

 

Jack clapped, “Bravo. Good job. Now. Athena. Come here. I got some news for you.”

 

He wrapped his arm around her, “See that scared little man, the guy who keeps lying through his teeth? The one that’s trying to sneak out as we speak? Yeah. Well, I got one more for yeah. He’s the last Atlas employee.”

 

Fiona turned, “Wait what?”

 

Sasha sighed, “It’s true.”

 

Jack smirked, “Well? What are you waiting for? KILL HIM!”

 

Athena pushed Rhys aside. He looked at Sasha and smirked, slapping her butt, “Nice ass goggles. No wonder Rhysie’s into you.”

She balled up her fist and hit Rhys hard across the face, knocking him out. Athena was screaming through her teeth,

 

“YOU LYING ATLAS SCUM.”

 

Without hesitation, Fiona feared the worst and held Athena back as she lifted Cassius into the air and aimed a blade at his neck. Cassius closed his eyes and didn’t even try to fight,

 

“I knew this day would come.”

 

Athena was grinding her teeth but Fiona held her arm, “Please. Don’t do this.”

 

Athena held Cassius firm, “I will not stop until every Atlas employee is dead. That was my promise… to my sister.”

 

Fiona gawked, “What?”

 

Athena pulled her sword to Cassius’ throat, “Atlas tricked me… into killing my own sister. Do you have any idea what it’s like to live with that? What would you do if you were in my position?”

 

Sasha stepped forward and sighed, “I’d make sure everyone paid.”

 

Vaughn gasped, “What? No. This is wrong.”

 

Fiona nodded, “He’s right, Athena. This is not what your sister would want.”

 

Athena laughed, “You wouldn’t know that.”

 

Fiona continued, “But I do. She’d want you to move on. To remember her as good. Not go around seeking revenge and killing those who threatened you. You aren’t doing any of this for her. You’re doing it for you. To feel better about it.”

 

Athena held on and looked at Fiona. She sighed and lightly let go of Cassius, but raised her blade again.

 

Fiona stepped forward, “Athena please-”

 

“Shh.”

 

Athena poked her eyes towards the wall, and in the distance, they could hear a loud thumping approaching them. Out of nowhere, the wall tore open and in came a giant man running straight for Athena. He pushed her through the group of them and out of a window. Fiona tried to run after her and saw them head further into the dome.

 

“Great.”

 

She looked further and saw an old familiar truck that she knew contained Vallory and August. Something wrapped to her legs and pulled her down, causing Fiona to fall out of the window. She screamed as she fell and landed within a tree, knocking her out.

 

 

Everything tore apart, the world trembled and became a blaring noise. Rhys felt his port spark as he readjusted his eyes and found himself outside of the building and back within the grounds of the dome. His entire body felt like it had fallen asleep and was rebooting. Jack’s face was right in front of him, smirking evilly. Rhys felt his face throb and a buzzing feeling form around his eyes. He grabbed his head in his hands and slowly sat up.

 

“What happened?”

 

Jack shrugged, “May have brought you back on my own accord. But this I was not expecting.”

 

Rhys’ mind snapped into place.

 

_Shit_

“You did NOT just take advantage-”

 

He heard a deep chuckle come from a distance. From the ruble emerged Vallory.

 

“No one gets away from me. Of course I took advantage of a perfect opportunity.”

 

Rhys shuddered and tried to stand but was knocked down by a couple of bandits. They held him on the spot as Vallory leaned over.

 

“Where is it?”

 

Rhys huffed, “Where’s wha-”

 

She smacked him hard across the face. He avoided her gaze and saw Vaughn hanging off the branch of a tree, unconscious.

 

_Come on bro._

Vallory pulled his attention back, “Where’s Gortys?”

 

Rhys looked around and saw LB curled around something. He immediately looked away as he knew Gortys was wrapped in their arms. He looked back up to Vallory and smirked,

 

“Could be anywhere.”

 

Vallory laughed and nudged her head towards LB. Rhys had been caught and it was too late. The bandit’s threw Rhys and Vallory held him on the ground. They tore apart the bots legs,

 

“THIS IS UNFAIR.”

 

Out of nowhere, Vaughn screamed and clung onto Vallory’s face. Scratching her and fighting her as best he could. Rhys stood and kicked the bandit’s aside. Gortys popped out and awoke with a laugh,

 

“HI Rhys! What are we doing?”

 

He didn’t even hesitate, “RUN!”

 

“Okay Dokey!”

 

Gortys began spinning away before Vaughn got thrown off Vallory. Rhys laughed and ran after Gortys. He heard Vaughn call for him,

 

“RHYS! WAIT UP.”

 

As he turned he saw Vallory pounce on him. He stopped in his tracks and saw Jack before him,

 

“What are you doing?! Go after the little robot dumbo!”

 

Rhys bit his lip and looked to his friend, “VAUGHN!”

 

He ran towards him but Vaughn screamed, “GO AFTER GORTYS! I GOT THIS!”

 

Vaughn was able to throw in enough punches to throw Vallory off. Rhys felt sick as he felt his legs take him the other way and towards Gortys’ trail. Out of nowhere, he felt himself get hauled up and found LB running on his hands and Sasha held on top. She smiled,

 

“Where’s Gortys?”

 

Rhys pointed, “That way!”

 

LB halted and started running towards their friend. Rhys looked over to Sasha who was avoiding his gaze. He sighed and remembered what Jack had done.

 

“Listen Sasha, I’m sorry okay? I didn’t mean to-”

 

“We can talk about this after okay? We just need to get the upgrade to-”

 

“GORTYS!”

 

Sasha and Rhys turned their attention towards a truck speeding off towards the little robot. Gortys was yelling for help,

 

“SOMEONE! ANYONE!”

 

With determination, LB sped up and got Sasha and Rhys onto the car. Sasha pulled Gortys’ upgrade out and pushed it towards Rhys.

 

“Get this to Gortys. Please!”

 

Rhys hesitated, “Wait, why can’t you?”

 

She nudged her head, “August.”

 

He looked towards the driver and realized that is who sat at the wheel. Rhys took the piece and began climbing along the car towards Gortys. LB followed and sat at the hood, smashing the window.

 

“HALT.”

 

August shot at the robot and laughed,

 

“Go screw yourself.”

 

Sasha began kicking in the window and tried to stop August. He pointed his gun towards her but she kicked it out of his hands, laughing towards him,

 

“Oh sure. Like you would shoot me.”

 

August growled, “Why wouldn’t I?”

 

Sasha snorted, “Because I broke up with you.”

 

August was stunned, “Uh n-no. I. Was the one. That broke up. With you.”

 

“SUURREEE.”

 

Rhys ignored their fight as he slowly climbed towards Gortys. LB extended his arm and tried to halt the car but nothing would work. Rhys used the length to grab onto Gortys and she turned her head while still rolling,

 

“Hi Rhys! I’m running!”

 

“CAN YOU GET ON GORTYS!”

 

She smiled but immediately turned orange. Her eyes gazed at the piece in Rhys’ other hand. As if magnetized, the piece flew out of Rhys’ hands and was pulled onto Gortys where it developed new legs. Rhys snorted,

 

“Uh. Wow.”

 

Gortys cheered, “GREAT! All we need is one more!”

 

August yelled, “NOT ON MY WATCH.”

 

He pulled the truck into break and sent Sasha and Rhys flying. They landed on LB who was being held onto by Gortys. Rhys opened his eyes and found them all safe and somehow still moving.

 

“This is weird.”

 

LB looked down, “I CAN AGREE.”

 

Sasha nearly lost her breath, “GORTYS, STOP!”

 

Rhys barely looked up before a rope appeared and found them all flying forward and landing hard on the ground. For a moment, everything stuttered as he felt time jump. A gun clicked and August stood behind it.

 

“Get up.”

 

Rhys groaned but did as he was told. August forced him against the truck and tied his hands behind his back. Rhys pushed him off as August did the same to Sasha. She spat in his face causing Rhys to smile. August did the same and pointed his gun forward.

 

“Time to find the rest.”

 

Rhys looked around and realized the dome had been broken into. Freezing weather poured in as they walked through. He heard struggling as they walked towards Vallory, now holding Fiona beneath her rocket launcher. As he looked around to everyone, he realized someone was missing,

 

“Hey, wait. Where’s Vaughn?”

 

August pushed him forwards and caused Rhys to trip. But he held his head high and looked around,

 

“VAUGHN?!”

 

But there was no answer. Fiona continued to struggle. Kroger and Finch, Vallory’s goons arrived to the spot with the caravan where Vaughn came tumbling out. They threw him at Rhys and Rhys flinched at the sight. Vaughn had a cut along his eye and cheek but Vaughn smiled up at him,

 

“Tried.”

 

Rhys felt his stomach drop and nodded, “Did more then try.”

 

Jack appeared and snorted, “More like failed miserably.”

 

Rhys ignored him as two men came into view, pulling Athena, who was clearly unconscious,behind them. Vallory pointed down at her,

 

“Feel that Athena? Now, it’s over.”

 

The bigger of the two men spoke, “We good?”

 

Vallory spat, “For now. Take her out of here.”

 

The smaller man laughed, “With pleasure.”

 

They continued to drag Athena along the ground as they took her towards their own vehicle. Rhys attention was pulled again as Vallory grabbed Sasha and pulled her towards Fiona. Fiona began shouting,

 

“Athena better be alive.”

 

Vallory smirked, “Oh, she is. But soon she won’t be.”

 

Fiona and Rhys’ face dropped. Vallory continued,

 

“I’m going to make this very simple for all of you. Give Gortys to me and you survive. Simple.”

 

Gortys wheeled around and appeared but LB held her back,

 

“DENIED.”

 

Vallory chuckled and glared at Fiona,

 

“Going to help me or no?”

 

Fiona spat at her, “You wish.”

 

Vallory grinned wider and pulled a knife out. She held Sasha close and stabbed her in the arm. Rhys screamed and ran at Vallory,

 

“LEAVE HER ALONE!”

 

He didn’t even have a chance as he got pushed down by Kroger. Fiona was screaming over him,

 

“OKAY. Okay. We’ll help. LB. You gotta’ let Gortys go.”

 

Vallory took the knife out of Sasha, gaining a wince. Sasha glared at her sister and whispered enough for Rhys to hear,

 

“You shouldn’t have done that.”

 

Rhys watched as LB hesitantly let Gortys roll over to Vallory. She went down on one knee and examined Gortys.

 

“Now, you poor little thing. Care to explain to me what we do with you?”

 

Gortys looked around and shook slightly, “Only if you promise not to hurt anyone else.”

 

Vallory nodded, “As long as you cooperate, I promise.”

 

Gortys held their hands up, “Okay. Good. What do you want to know.”

 

Vallory grinded her teeth, “What vault are you?”

 

Gortys sighed, “It’s called the vault of the traveller.”

 

Everyone’s breathing hitched as they listened to Gortys. They stuttered slightly but continued to stay firm,

 

“I was created as a companion, of sorts. The Vault of the Traveller got it’s name because it teleports. And I was built to hold onto the Vault and allow the hunters to gather the treasure.”

 

Vallory stood, “Good. Anything else to add.”

 

Gortys nodded but paused. Gortys rolled towards Rhys and patted his head,

 

“It’s time to head back.”

 

Rhys was stunned, “What?”

 

Gortys wheeled back to Vallory and looked up, “I have one more piece before we can get the vault.”

 

Vallory sighed, “And where is this last piece?”

 

Gortys locator came on and they immediately pointed up towards space and towards the one floating station.

 

“Helios. The last piece is on Helios.”

 

Rhys’ stomach turned.

 

_FOR FUCK SAKES._

 

They couldn’t go back. Hell, how were they even supposed to get there?

 

Jack was laughing and nearly fell to the ground, “OH RHYS. THIS IS PERFECT! HA.”

 

Rhys avoided him and stared at the others. Vallory was pacing as she tried to piece the new details together. She halted in front of Fiona and smirked, picking up the rocket launcher and setting her free. Vaughn helped Fiona up and sighed. Vallory yelled towards everyone,

 

“Hyperion. You never stop amazing me. Now, we’re going to figure this shit out together and if you so much as think of escaping, you’ll regret ever turning your back on me. Now. Get in the caravan.”

 

Rhys rubbed his arms and felt Jack pacing around,

 

“This is going to be interesting. Man, if she knew. OH she would FLIP.”

 

Jack stopped for a minute and shook his head, “Nevermind.”

 

Rhys hesitated as he was pulled up and pushed towards the caravan. The group of them got slammed in and yelled at by Vallory,

 

“I’ll be keeping Gortys close for now. We’re going to get out of this dump and head towards warmer climate. August, you ride with them.”

 

August sighed but didn’t go against his mom’s words. He hopped on and got into the drivers seat. As Finch, Kroger and Vallory pulled out, Rhys looked towards the others and nudged his head for the back of the caravan. They all got his hint and huddled in a circle, keeping quiet so August couldn’t hear. Fiona began,

 

“So much for training. Sash, you sure you’re okay?”

 

Sasha snorted, “I’m fine. I wish you didn’t do that. I can handle myself.”

 

Fiona sighed and looked towards Rhys and Vaughn, “You two got any clues?”

 

Vaughn shrugged, “I’ve got nothing. Maybe Ja-”

 

“SH!”

 

Rhys covered Vaughn’s mouth, “Please. We…need to be careful who knows about that. I’m begging you, they cannot know.”

 

Fiona cocked her eye and frowned, “Why not? I care about OUR safety.”

 

Jack flickered and crossed his arms, “Let me tell them how it is Rhys. It’ll be perfect.”

 

Rhys held on as Jack tried to touch his port but nothing happened. He knew how to keep Jack at bay and now was not the time for screwing around. Jack frowned and huffed, “At least tell them _I can_.”

 

Rhys shook his head, “Jack is dangerous. I get that but he’s out of control. I can barely hold on sometimes. If they know.... You understand how insane this all is right?”

 

Sasha looked over at Fiona and rubbed her injured arm, “He’s not wrong. If Vallory found out, she could do more damage.”

 

Fiona sighed and nodded, “Fine.”

 

Rhys looked at both of them and smiled, “Promise?”

 

Fiona flipped him off, “How’s this for a promise?”

 

Vaughn broke the subject, “Any chance he… you know. KNOWS where on Helios the piece is? It ain’t a small space.”

 

Jack looked over and chuckled, “Not dumb after all. Yeah. It’s in my office. Right on my trophy wall. Wish I had your ass on there. I will. Soon. But I don’t wanna’ spoil the surprise.”

 

Rhys closed his eyes and shuddered, “I know where it is.”

 

Sasha crossed her arms, “Care to tell us?”

 

“Tell us what?”

 

They all turned to August. None of them had even noticed the caravan had halted. Rhys looked around and noticed everyone staring at him. He sighed and stood in front of August,

 

“The piece. Wanted to tell you where it is.”

 

August laughed, “You’re pulling my leg.”

 

Rhys shook his head, “I’m serious. It’s in Handsome Jack’s office. Just ask Gortys.”

 

August hesitated but turned on the caravan ECHO, “Yo, get the little bot. Hey, can you scan Helios?”

 

The robot chimed in, “Yep. What do you need?”

 

August crossed his arms and leaned towards the COM, “Scan Handsome Jack’s office for the piece. It there?”

 

Gortys hummed and then cheered, “WE HAVE A WINNER!”

 

August smiled and looked towards Rhys, “Well look at that. How’d you know?”

 

Rhys became nervous and rubbed his arm, “Uh, I used to-”

 

Jack smirked, “Fuck around in my office. Easy.”

 

Rhys ignored him but used bits of Jack’s story, “I used to work for Jack. I know his office and I remember him always having a trophy wall.”

 

August smirked and shrugged, “Well, that’s one down. Now how the hell are we managing getting up there?”

 

Fiona sparked up, “I think we may know a guy.”

 

Sasha snorted, “You aren’t seriously suggesting-”

 

“Scooter. Yeah. He’s the best mechanic around and he’s the only one I know who may have the parts.”

 

Vaughn piped in, “Okay. So we build a rocket and fly up to Helios. How do we not get caught?”

 

Sasha smiled, “That’s where we come in. We always play our parts. It’s time you all did the same.”

 

August glared at Sasha but rolled his eyes, “Kay. Cool. But those two dweebs are wanted by Hyperion. Especially Rhys. How are we getting them up there?”

 

Rhys spoke up, “Wait wh-”

 

Vaughn’s stunned laughter cut him off, “We use Vasquez’s face. He’s still down on Old Haven, right? Not like his body can up and leave it’s self.”

 

August stood firm and rubbed his head, “Is that all?”

 

Everyone looked around and for once, they were all pleased with each other. They had developed a plan out of nothing. Jack chuckled,

 

“Something of a real misfit team.”

 

Rhys looked to August, “Will Vallory-”

 

“Oh she’ll buy it. And it’s as good of a plan as we’re gonna get. I’ll be back.”

 

He walked off the caravan and began discussing with the others. Rhys felt his arm twitch and held it firmly. Vaughn noticed and broke the silence between them,

 

“Think this will actually work.”

 

Fiona sighed and crossed her arms, “It’s the only one we’ve got. We try and improvise from there. Just like a real job.”

 

Sasha smirked, “At least we’re both on the same side this time.”

 

They all smiled, breaking the tension in the room. It lasted only seconds as August stepped back into the caravan,

 

“It’s settled. We’re headed to Scooters.”

 

Jack frowned, “We are not seriously taking orders from these douchebags. How can.-HOW are we trusting them right now?”

 

Rhys sighed and whispered to Jack, “Because it’s all we have left.”

 

Vaughn looked over and forced his eyes towards the top of the caravan. Rhys nodded and began heading towards the top. Sasha held Rhys’ arm before he reached the ladder,

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

Jack grinded his teeth, “Pfft. Like she needs to know. Getting sick of this whole we trust each other bullshit.”

 

Rhys rubbed his eyes and lightly pulled away from Sasha, “You know. He’s being a jackass.”

 

Sasha chuckled, “Well, he is Jack after all.”

 

Rhys smirked and grabbed the ladder but hesitated as August aimed his gun around,

 

“Where yeah goin’?”

 

Rhys sighed, “To get air. I have terrible anxiety and would rather not break down in front of you.”

 

August hesitated but let him go, “Fine.”

 

Rhys looked towards the others and climbed only a step before whispering to them,

 

“This will work. It has to.”

 

He pulled the hatch open and climbed on top. Jack gave him no time,

 

“We’ve got a plan alright. Trust. Ha. Rhysie. That’s not a plan. Are you listening to yourself? I-I mean, come on! _This will work._ Pfft. Okay, okay. So say we actually get to Helios, which is unlikely. How are you getting to my office? Incredibly guarded, remember?”

 

Rhys knew. He was there the day they completely shut down the office and slowly transformed it into a shrine or memorial of Jack. It made Rhys sick thinking that he had only just worked in that office. Now it was something of a hall of fame. The caravan bumped causing Rhys to shift. He sighed and sat down, avoiding contact with Jack.

 

“Well, muffin? Any ideas? Cause I’m all out.”

 

Rhys thought it through, “Well, the tour of your office? I mean, Fiona or Sasha can pull off a decent guide.”

 

Jack exhaled loudly, “Ah, no no. You and you alone gotta’ get up there, kitten.”

 

Rhys cocked his head up to Jack, “Why? They can handle i-”

 

“Let’s just say something in there can help us out Rhys. And I mean that.”

 

Rhys looked at Jack and shook his head, “What? If this is some sex joke, it’s not funny.”

 

Jack smirked, “Not what I meant. But that would be fun too.”

 

Rhys rolled his eyes and began bobbing his foot, impatient and nervous.

 

“If me getting to your office is so important, why can’t we do it as a group.”

 

Jack coughed, “I didn’t say you couldn’t do it as a group. I just mean I don’t trust anyone but you in my office.”

 

Rhys put his fingers on the bridge of his nose, “Seriously?”

 

Jack threw his hands up in the air, “What?”

 

Rhys couldn’t believe Jack using his own words against him.

 

“Jack, you cannot be serious. I trust these girls. I trust you. And clearly, you only want me in there. What’s so important-”

 

“It’s your head Rhys. Let’s just say it’ll…open it up a bit.”

 

Rhys closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. Whatever Jack was hinting at, Rhys had a bad feeling it wasn’t anything good. Jack sighed and began pacing in the air. Rhys curled in on himself and looked at Jack. His mind was racing but one thing stuck out.

 

“Jack, if you don’t trust me, that’s fine. But I’ve put my trust in you time and time again. The least you could do is trust these people.”

 

Jack wiggled his finger in Rhys’ face, “At ta ta. No. What do I keep telling you Rhys? Not to-”

 

“Not to trust people. Yeah yeah. I know.”

 

Jack stood closer, “Not to trust anyone, including me.”

 

Rhys sighed and felt himself shaking a bit more, “But Jack, I gave you that chance. You told me to believe you, to trust you and I did. So why, for once, can’t you just follow through?”

 

Jack laughed but he wasn’t smiling. He crossed his arms, “I don’t trust ANYONE Rhys. Not even you. Think I don’t live by my own words? Haa. Oh man you are dumb. Aren’t yeah?”

 

Rhys felt hurt. Part of him knew Jack wasn’t a trusting guy, but after everything they shared with each other, Rhys thought at least a bit of trust would be laid out there. Rhys looked away from Jack and rubbed his hands,

 

“So what? Now we go back to me working for you? Is that how all this goes?”

 

Jack looked at Rhys and cocked his eyes, “Uh I’m confused. Repeat that?”

 

Rhys stood, “No. I’m done talking. You want me to not trust anyone? Here’s me not trusting anyone. Go fuck yourself, Jack.”

 

Jack’s evil grin spread across his face, but his voice was filled with hate, “Ha. Look at you getting pissed at me. What’s this all really about? Are you still butt-hurt that we never had a thing? Is that it? That’s it isn’t it?”

 

Rhys squeezed his hands into fists, wanting to punch Jack but knew it wasn’t worth it. His heart was hurting and his breathing was picking up. He closed his eyes and spoke softly,

 

“I’m done talking.”

 

Rhys tried to leave but Jack grabbed Rhys and took control of his arm, holding Rhys down onto the caravan,

 

“Oh no you don’t. We’re talking Rhys. You don’t get to walk out on me.”

 

Rhys tried to pull his arm, hitting it and tried his best to regain it but nothing worked,

 

“Jack, stop this! This is ridiculous!”

 

Jack laughed and held strong, “Ooohh come on. We are stuck together Rhys. Might as well clear the air before we die, before we stumble across other things. We gotta work together so might as well work on our problems. Think of this as couples therapy except not actually..ha.”

 

Rhys gave up and stared at Jack,

 

“You wanna’ know how this feels? I want you GONE Jack. It’s FRUSTRATING hearing you, having you in MY head and in MY mind constantly nagging and bitching about EVERYTHING. I never asked for this. It was a hell of a lot better without you.”

 

Rhys didn’t know if he meant everything he said but he was angry with Jack and tired of not having control. Jack felt nothing towards Rhys and this was the first time Rhys was realizing, but he couldn’t help but hang on to that.

 

Rhys continued, “I honestly cannot believe I fell for someone like you. You were my boss. That should’ve been a red flag but here you were CONSTANTLY flirting with me and I took it as something meaningful. But for you it was what? Just screwing around? Was that the word you used? We shared shit that I barely talk about and I thought we…ahhh. I idolized you, but now I’m seeing your true face Jack. You are just a crazy lunatic. Just like everyone said you were. And I was careless, I fell for you and I trusted you. We slept together and I was just another fling because YOU wanted to have fun. And you always get what you want, right Jack? RIGHT?!”

 

Rhys was out of breath. Jack stared at him and wasn’t smirking. He sucked his teeth and chuckled to himself,

 

“Pent that all up for a year. Jeeze, kiddo.”

 

“STOP CALLING ME KIDDO.”

 

Rhys was shaking but he didn’t care. He wanted to hurt Jack and he knew how much it hurt Jack seeing Rhys lose control. Jack’s grip loosened and Rhys regained control but he didn’t leave. He curled his legs up to his chest and stayed there. He avoided Jack’s eyes and spoke softly,

 

“You used me and I’ll never forgive you for that.”

 

Jack smirked, “Get used to it.”

 

Jack chuckled as he flickered back into Rhys’ mind. Rhys began crying and stayed up there the rest of the ride.

 

 

 

When they arrived at Scooters, the man popped out of his garage, first stunned and then scared,

 

“Uh, you ladies got mixed in with the wrong crowd.”

 

Finch and Kroger approached him. Finch laughed,

 

“So you _do_ know these people.”

 

Scooter nervously laughed and backed up, “I uh… guess I forgot. You know me. Hehe…”

 

Kroger cracked his neck and Finch grabbed hold of Scooter as they began beating him. Sasha and Fiona tried to stop them but Vallory and August held them back. Rhys didn’t even bother fighting. He felt he was the cause of all of this and him stepping in only seemed to make things worse. A woman ran out and tore the fight up,

 

“WOW. HOLD ON THERE! What’s going on- VALLORY YOU BITCH.”

 

The woman pounced at Vallory but was swatted away and a gun aimed at her. The woman was a wreck and completely filled with tears,

 

“Well, didn’t realize you’d be here.”

 

The woman stood and Vallory’s aim followed, “Where’s Athena?”

 

The rest of them froze as they stared at the woman. She looked around and began panicking, “Well? Where is she?!”

 

Fiona sighed, “She’s-it’s my fault.”

 

The woman gasped and covered her mouth as more tears came pouring out, “She’s not. No. She can’t be.”

 

Rhys saw the fear and had to speak up, “She’s not dead.”

 

Vaughn added in, “Really. She’s fine. She was just… taken by other vault hunters.”

 

The woman gripped her knuckles and cracked her neck, “Well. This-this is. I don’t even know what to think.”

 

Vallory stepped in and brought Scooter to his feet. His nose was bleeding and his cheek had a clear fist bruise. He kept giggling and laughing,

 

“You don’t scare me. Whatever you want, you ain’t gettin’ it.”

 

Vallory laughed and bashed Scooter’s head with hers, knocking him out. She looked towards the woman, who ran to Scooter’s side,

 

“What do you want you crazy lunatic?”

 

Vallory paced around, aimed her gun towards everyone and looked around, “I want to get to Helios, Springs. I want these brats to get me a vault. And you’re going to help us get it.”

 

Springs laughed, “Bull. There hasn’t been a vault around since-”

 

Jack flickered in and smirked, “Since me.”

 

Vallory nodded as if to agree with Jack, “But now we’ve found another. And you know what happens when I don’t get what I want? A lot of people die. So. You building Springs or do I need to start shooting these pathetic people?”

 

Vallory aimed her gun at the group, not flinching or even moving her eyes from the woman. Springs looked around and sighed. She rubbed her face and took a few deep breaths before speaking,

 

“Fine. But I swear to God if I don’t get my Athena back by the time you are gone, I will kill you myself.”

 

Vallory smirked and nudged her head towards the others, “No promises. For now, pack in. We’re staying here until it’s done.”

 

The group began to head towards Scooter’s garage but Vallory and August didn’t move a muscle. Vallory aimed her gun towards one person and broke the silence again,

 

“Everyone except you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter. Oh damn. My heart can't handle all of this.


	21. Interrogation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vallory knows Rhys is hiding something and she'll stop at nothing to get it out of him. Meanwhile, the others fight to save Rhys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING. TORTURE AHEAD and VIOLENCE.
> 
> This chapter gets intense and I want you to be prepared.

Vallory pointed her gun at Rhys, “Everyone except you.”

 

Rhys looked at the others who were just as surprised as he was, “Why just me?”

 

Vallory nearly spat as she laughed, “Oh you know exactly why. I wanna’ know why Hyperion wants your head so badly.”

 

Rhys clenched his teeth, “Could be the fact Vaughn and I screwed them.”

 

She clicked her tongue, “Nooo. That’s not it. From what I heard it IS your head. Whatever’s inside.”

 

His face lost all feeling. Jack was right beside him, “Let me punch her Rhys. One good swing.”

 

He ignored Jack and felt himself shaking, beginning to panic but he held on.

 

“What exactly? My port isn’t special-”

 

Vallory growled, “Not from what I’ve heard. Now Rhys, you can tell me right here, right now why they want your head, or we can do things the hard way.”

 

_What’s the hard way?_

Jack stood by Vallory, “Don’t say a God damn word.”

 

Rhys wanted to tell Vallory everything but even he knew that wouldn’t end well. He looked at Jack and everyone else. Vaughn was practically shaking his head while Fiona and Sasha looked stunned. Vallory cut him off,

 

“We don’t have all day boy. What’s your answer?”

 

Rhys avoided her eyes, “I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about.”

 

Vallory wasn’t smiling. She slowly walked over to Rhys and smiled. Rhys felt his entire body grow numb and felt himself grow sick. If looks could kill, Rhys would be dead. Vallory brought her gun up to Rhys’ face.

 

“Try again.”

 

Rhys stared at the barrel and didn’t flinch. Part of him thought that was Jack holding him grounded but even Jack was shaking.

 

“Rhysie, just hold on. Keep bluffing her.”

 

Rhys stepped right to the barrel and forced it on his forehead, “There’s nothing to say. And if you don’t believe me, might as well shoot.”

 

He regretted saying it all but it fell out of his mouth anyways. Vallory lifted the gun and forced it down onto Rhys’ head, causing him to collapse and wince. His vision was blurry as he heard screams from Sasha.

 

“LET HIM GO YOU MONSTER!”

 

Vallory aimed her gun at Sasha, which caused Fiona to step in front. Vaughn yelled in protest,

 

“RHYS IS TELLING THE TRUTH. JUST- PLEASE, STOP THIS!”

 

Jack was right by Rhys, “OHHHH I cannot WAIT to get my hands around her neck. Stay alive, Rhysie. A little concussion is nothing.”

 

Fiona joined Vaughn, “PLEASE VALLORY.”

 

Vallory spoke quiet but Rhys heard, “Shut it.”

 

Sasha continued to scream, “HE’S DONE NOTHING WRONG!”

 

August came around and grabbed Rhys who tried to pull away. The others protested along with him but Vallory shut everyone up when she fired a shot to the sky.

 

“I SAID SHUT IT.

 

The shot rang out until she holstered her gun.

 

“The hard way it is.”

 

Rhys winced as August lifted him and shoved him into their truck. Vallory pointed at the other two goons,

 

“You two, make sure they get nice and cozy at Scooters. And don’t let them out of your sight. We’ll be back… in a little while.”

 

Finch chuckled, “With pleasure.”

 

Vallory got in the truck as August looked back at everyone else. Tears were streaming down Sasha’s eyes as Finch and Kroger tried to drag everyone back to Scooters,

 

“August. Please. You don’t have to do this.”

 

August looked away and sighed, “I’m sorry.”

 

He got in and slammed the door, driving off without another word.

 

 

 

 

Sasha paced the room as Fiona looked at the clock. It had been an entire week since they had last seen or heard from Rhys. Having been beaten up for lying about them the first time, Scooter smiled away and did his best to keep everyone happy, but deep down, everyone had the same worry.

 

_What if Rhys is dead?_

Fiona knew that wasn’t true, but she couldn’t stop worrying about the poor guy. Every night, August and Vallory would return without Rhys and small bits of blood splatter on their clothes. Sasha punched and screamed at August, practically begging him to stop but he couldn’t. They all knew if he turned against his mother, he’d have more to worry about then Sasha’s small tangents. Every night since Rhys’ had been gone, Sasha had cried herself to sleep, blaming herself and wanting to tell Vallory everything. But they swore to Rhys they wouldn’t say anything and continued to act like they didn’t know anything. Vaughn had even tried lying and nearly got the shit kicked out of him. He was Rhys’ best buddy and he tried too hard to find him. Even just the other day he snuck onto the car but was flung off by a sharp, hard turn. He still had a large cut along his arm that wouldn’t ever heal properly, but he didn’t care. They all wanted to know if Rhys was okay and part of Fiona knew he wasn’t. But they were nowhere near finding him as they were knowing that answer for sure. Sasha groaned,

 

“Fiona, please. I can’t handle this.”

 

“Sash, we promise-”

 

“I don’t care anymore. Rhys is dying. I know it. He’s probably Skag food by now.”

 

Tears began streaming down her face. Fiona knew Sasha cared deeply for Rhys. She wasn’t sure why Sasha did but she did and that was all Fiona cared about. If her sister was falling for the guy, she’d help save his ass, no matter what it took.

 

“Sasha, he’s not. Besides, Vallory and August keep going somewhere, right?”

 

Sasha crossed her arms and sat beside her sister, “I guess? But what if they’re playing us? What if- What if he’s-”

 

Fiona shushed her and grabbed her in a hug, “No. He’s not.”

 

Sasha broke apart from her sister, “WELL I CAN’T HANDLE THIS ANYMORE. I NEED TO KNOW IF- IF HE’S OKAY. OKAY?! IS THAT CRAZY TO ASK?!”

 

Fiona sighed and nodded, “I know Sash-”

 

“No, you don’t Fi. I’m getting SICK of sitting around and doing nothing. I mean, you HAVE to feel the same, no?”

 

Fiona’s knee kept bouncing. In fact, she had been itching to do ANY type of job all week. Not even a single skag kill came around. She was stuck in the building with Scooter, Springs and the two goons. She had helped fix a few things here and there but nothing like a regular job. Her mind was racing and honestly, she couldn’t handle not knowing anything either.

 

Fiona sighed and looked straight into Sasha’s eyes, “If you honestly want to know, I do. I really want to find the little nerd, but we’ve got nothing. Unless you have a plan to somehow find the location without sneaking onto the car, which wouldn’t work anyways, then spit it out.”

 

Sasha clicked her tongue and saw the car pull up. August came out alone and Sasha’s face grew pale. Fiona grabbed her and sat her down again. August quickly ran in and got food before he climbed back into the truck and drove off. That’s when something lit up in Sasha.

 

“Fi. I think I might have an idea.”

 

 

 

Rhys could no longer open his regular eye. His cheek was so swollen it forced his eye to permanently stay shut. If that didn’t help, the constant smell and taste of blood in his mouth with two less teeth didn’t help either. Rhys was pretty positive his flesh hand was also broken, either that or it was severely cut up as blood seeped out of it. He felt a throbbing headache but he was pretty sure that was from the constant bashing to the back of his head. He even felt his hair mat with blood. Rhys hadn’t noticed Jack staring at him with rage filling his face.

 

“Rhysie. You need to stop this and just let me take control.”

 

Rhys spit out blood and avoided Jack’s stare, “No.”

 

Jack placed his hand on Rhys’ shoulder and hovered it there, “I don’t care about it being a secret anymore. Just tell them. I can’t watch this anymore. Please.”

 

Rhys nearly laughed but held it back as he knew it would only hurt, “Jack, it’s funny. One moment you’re telling me to keep my mouth shut and now, this? Huh.”

 

Jack growled and forced Rhys to look at him, “This isn’t funny. As a matter of fact, I want to kill those sonofabitches and every kin they have for the shit they’ve done to you.”

 

Rhys smirked and felt his vision go blurry again, “For the last time, no.”

 

Jack groaned and started yelling, “FOR F- RHYS. TELL THESE BASTARDS I’M IN YOUR HEAD. IN FACT, LET ME TELL THEM AND I PROMISE TO MAKE THEIR DEATHS SLOW AND PAINFUL.”

 

“Jack, you know damn well if I tell them, we’re as good as dead.”

 

Jack huffed, “Bull. They need us-you alive, Rhysie.”

 

Rhys laughed this time, causing himself to cough and spit out more blood.

 

“No Jack. They really don’t. They just need my brain. My port. I’m just the meat suit.”

 

Jack shook his head, “You are ridiculous.”

 

They both heard the door open and Rhys winced, immediately feeling his heart drop. The little relief of a break he had was over, and whatever was coming, he needed to brace himself. To his surprise, it was just August. Alone. He stepped up to Rhys slowly and was holding a container and some foil.

 

“Uh, how yeah doing Rhys?”

 

Rhys smiled up to August, “Just peachy.”

 

August sighed and set down the container and foil on what Rhys liked to call, Vallory’s torture table. August pulled up a chair and sat directly in front of Rhys.

 

“Listen. I’m sorry. For everything.”

 

Rhys wanted to punch him but settled for spitting in his face. August closed his eyes, sighed and wiped the blood off his face.

 

“I deserved that. But I mean it Rhys. I can’t stop her. No one can. Ma get’s what she wants. You know damn well if I step out of line, she’d have me killed. Hell, she’d probably do it herself.”

 

Even Rhys knew that was true. He frowned and looked back to August,

 

“What do you want?”

 

August smiled and pulled out a knife, making Rhys flinch and back away as much as possible. August put his other hand up to settle Rhys.

 

“Relax. I’m just cutting your restraints off.”

 

Jack was punching August, but of course, it went right threw him.

 

“Can’t trust this asshole Rhysie. You know this. It’s shit cop- and extremely bad cop. Don’t fall for it.”

 

As soon as Rhys’ arms were free, Jack took control of his arm and grabbed August by the neck. Rhys had little strength left and couldn’t stop Jack. August grabbed the arm and slammed Rhys into the wall, causing him to scream.

 

“RHYS STOP. I’m seriously just trying to help!”

 

“GO FUCK YOURSELF.”

 

Rhys tried to kick and scream but August didn’t budge. Rhys gave up and felt his arm grow limp as Jack did the same. August slowly let Rhys go and pushed him back down into the chair. He moved the table and brought it over to Rhys. He removed the container and foil and revealed food. Rhys’ stomach betrayed him and growled. August chuckled,

 

“Like I said, trying to help.”

 

He pushed the food closer to Rhys. Rhys hesitated before grabbing the food and shoving every little bit into his mouth. He moaned at the pleasure of finally eating, even if his broken and bloody mouth protested. As Rhys ate the food, August sighed and rubbed his nose,

 

“Why won’t you just tell us?”

 

Rhys froze looking from Jack to August, “I’ve told you everything. And if that’s disappointing to hear, well, sorry, that’s all I’ve got.”

 

Jack groaned and put his hand on the bridge of his nose.

 

“Rhys, stop this.”

 

Rhys ignored Jack and continued eating as August stared up at him.

 

“Fine. Ma believes otherwise and frankly, so do I. But I can’t stop her from doing her worst Rhys. This is all I can do. And again, I’m sorry.”

 

Rhys swallowed the food and placed the rest back on the table. At the mention of Vallory, Rhys lost his appetite, feeling that she might pop out of nowhere. He scanned just in case but found only August and himself. They were alone. Rhys sighed and rubbed his flesh hand, realizing it was in fact only cut up and not broken. Jack was pacing the room and was screaming back to Rhys

 

“You should’ve let me strangle him Rhys.”

 

Rhys avoided his gaze but could feel Jack’s rage. He looked back to August, who was staring at Rhys more intently,

 

“You look like shit.”

 

Rhys laughed and spit blood again, “Yeah. Feel like it too.”

 

August grabbed a handkerchief from his back pocket and handed it to Rhys.

 

“It’s the least I can do. Use it, wrap it. I don’t care.”

 

Rhys took it and began wiping some of the blood from his head, face and hand. It was drenched by the time he even got to his hand and gave up even trying to soak it again. August noticed and brought out some water. Rhys nearly collided with August as he grabbed the water and chugged it back, not even taking any breaks. August chuckled to himself,

 

“Almost forgot about the water. Sorry.”

 

When Rhys drained every last drop, he dropped the bottle and smirked up to August.

 

“So. Why are you being nice to me?”

 

August avoided his eyes this time, “Like I need to tell you.”

 

Rhys attempted to cross his arms but ended up just placing them back where they were before, as if restrained to the chair again.

 

“Funny how you avoid my question when I’ve been answering all of yours.”

 

August gave Rhys a hard push, “Yeah. Funny. You’re a bad liar Rhys. You keep saying there’s nothing but I see it. There’s always something more. You know she won’t stop until you literally bleed out.”

 

Jack walked over, “SEE? Even nose-ring here knows it too. Rhysie, just fucking give it up okay? I won’t be upset if you tell her. I’m…sick of seeing you doing this to yourself.”

 

Rhys ignored Jack and stared back at August.

 

“I’m telling you. There’s nothing valuable in my head.”

 

August got closer to Rhys and whispered, “Maybe not to you. But to Val, you’re head is a jewel ready to be dug out.”

Rhys gulped at that and his mind was cut off when the door swung open to the monster herself,

 

“WELLLL, what have we here.”

 

August was stunned and stood, knocking over his chair, “Ma? You weren’t supposed to be back yet.”

 

She looked from Rhys to August. Rhys heart was pounding so hard his ribs hurt. Then again, she had probably broken a few of those too. The slap across August’s face caused Rhys to focus again.

 

“Let me make myself loud and clear boy.”

 

Vallory grabbed August’s nose ring and ripped it out, causing August to scream. She grabbed his face and slapped him so hard, the blood from his nose flicked across the floor and onto Rhys’ shoes.

 

“Don’t EVER let me catch you doing something like this again, you hear me?”

 

August was whimpering as he nodded and walked out of the room, leaving them alone.

 

Vallory pointed towards Rhys who was standing. He didn’t remember standing up.

 

_Jack._

“I’m doing this for your own good Rhysie.”

 

Jack had full control of Rhys’ arm this time and threw his arm and body forward, punching Vallory clear across the face. She wiped her mouth from the fresh blood and screamed as she charged at Rhys. She picked him up with ease and bashed his head against the roof, holding him by the neck and began choking him.

 

“Try it again Rhys. I dare yeah.”

Rhys tried to get loose but felt himself fall apart. His eyes began to form stars and slowly became weak against her grasp. Just before he was lost, she dropped him to the ground, hard. Rhys spat and choked out, gasping for air and in taking heavy and painful breathes. Vallory kicked his already broken ribs a few times until Rhys began puking from the pain. With that, Rhys couldn’t hold on any more and passed out. He awoke back in the chair, stiffer and in a hell of a lot more pain. His restrains had been reapplied and he was alone in the dark once more. He tried to scream but his mouth was blocked by something. Tears streamed down his eyes as he tried to pull out of the chair but nothing he did would even shift the chair. He heard the door open and immediately froze. Vallory and August entered. August had a patched up nose and Vallory had a deadly smile.

 

“Well, good morning sleeping beauty. Have a good rest? Because today’s gonna’ be long and difficult.”

 

Before Rhys could squirm or protest, Vallory punched him hard in the groin and Rhys almost blacked out from that alone. Jack was at his ear again and tried to strangle Vallory.

 

“COME ON RHYS. AS SOON AS THEY TAKE THAT SHIT OFF YOU SCREAM THAT I’M RIGHT HERE STRANGLING THEM!”

 

August ripped the tape off of Rhys mouth, gaining a yelped from him but he just needed air. He breathed heavily and felt his groin regain feeling, slowly and painfully. He looked up at Jack and shook his head slightly. August stayed at the door as Vallory grabbed Rhys’ face and forced him to look at her,

 

“Ready to talk yet?”

 

Rhys smiled widely, “Sure. Let’s talk.”

 

Vallory squeezed his face until her nails dug into his cheeks, causing them to break his skin and release drops of blood. Rhys could barely feel the blood falling down his face.

 

“Then tell me. Rhys. What in God’s name is so important about you?”

 

Jack stood right beside him, “Everything is important about you. Now for FUCKS SAKES TELL HER I’M HERE!”

 

Rhys chuckled to himself, “I’m not important.”

 

Vallory smirked, “You are VERY important. Especially with Hyperion holding such a pretty price tag over that dumb head of yours.”

 

Rhys closed his eyes as he prepared for the worst answer he’d ever make, “Maybe it’s my hot bod.”

 

Even he couldn’t hold back the laugh he had. Vallory clawed at Rhys’ face but he barely felt it. He was in so much pain at this point that everything was either throbbing or numb.

 

“Gonna’ have to do better than that Rhys. Now tell me what I want to know.”

 

 

 

 

Fiona gave Sasha the signal and ran into the kitchen. Springs had her tongue out as she lightly poured a purple looking liquid into the stew.

 

“Are you SURE this will work?”

 

Springs winked, “Positive. Used it on Athena once. If she can get knocked out by it for a full day, these two will be out for a week.”

 

Fiona nodded as she heard the car pull up. Vallory walked to the bathroom and Fiona snuck to the side door where Sasha approach August who was having a smoke.

 

Sasha swayed up to August, “You know, that’ll kill you.”

 

August blew the smoke in her face, “Already dead. Listen, I can’t-”

 

“That’s not why I’m here. I actually wanted to talk about…us.”

 

August’s eyebrow rose. He immediately dropped the cigarette and put it out with his foot.

 

“Is there still an us?”

 

Sasha got closer to August and placed her hand on his shoulder. His mouth was slightly opened,

 

“I mean. I was a shitty person for what I did then but, I mean. You were honestly such a nice guy to me. You respected me, you were good to me, treated me right. I think, maybe we just need to start over? Would that be okay?”

 

August hesitated, “Uh, yeah, that’d be amazing Sash. I mean, if that’s what you want.”

 

Sasha grabbed August in a kiss and held him there for a moment. He pushed her closer but heard Vallory cough as she entered the scene. He looked over and talked just loud enough for Sasha to hear,

 

“We’ll talk later.”

 

He rushed over to his mom who grabbed him by the ear and dragged him back to the car. As they drove off, Sasha sighed and wiped her mouth.

 

“That was gross.”

 

Fiona came running out and squeezed Sasha tight, “For what it was for, definitely worth it! MAN you rocked that.”

 

Sasha bowed, “Well, you know me. Always the sweet talker. But what about the goons?”

 

Just as she asked, Springs called out, “LUNCH TIME. I decided to make a special one for just an occasion!”

 

Kroger and Finch stepped into the kitchen. Fiona, Sasha, Vaughn and Scooter gathered and sat at the table as Springs served the food, giving Kroger and Finch the first servings. They didn’t hesitate and dived in. Within minutes, Kroger and Finch began swaying in their seats. Kroger looked at his hands,

 

“Man do I feel weird.”

 

Finch stood on wobbly legs, “Man, me too.”

 

With that, they both collapsed on the floor and were fast asleep. Springs walked back in with a fresh bowl of her own soup and sipped at it.

 

“Worked like a charm.”

 

Scooter looked around and was confused, “I don’t think I follow.”

 

Vaughn looked at the girls and laughed, “I cannot believe this is happening.”

 

Sasha and Fiona stood and grabbed Vaughn. Sasha was nearly jumping with excitement.

 

“Finally!”

 

Fiona nodded and looked to Vaughn, “Well, anything?”

 

Vaughn checked his glasses and he immediately smiled, “We got a hit.”

 

With that, they grabbed the caravan and took off to find Rhys.

 

_We’re coming Rhys. Just hang on._

 

Vallory brought the knife down onto Rhys’ knee, gaining another gut wrenching scream. August couldn’t bear to be in the room anymore and stood outside. Vallory twisted the blade gaining another scream.

 

“Ready to speak you twerp?”

 

Rhys panted, “P-please. S-stop.”

 

Jack was always there, screaming in his ear, “I’VE HAD ENOUGH RHYS. I CAN’T WATCH THIS. PLEASE. I’M BEGGING YOU. LET ME TELL THE BITCH!”

 

Rhys didn’t mean to speak out loud, “No.”

 

Vallory dug the blade deeper, “You were saying?”

 

Rhys clenched his teeth and brought his head back.

 

_Hold on Rhys._

 

Rhys’ eyes rolled back and he passed out briefly until Vallory shocked him awake. He squirmed and screamed. Jack winced and avoided looking. Vallory was laughing and enjoying every last second. Jack was inches from Rhys’ face. He spoke softly, hand ever so slightly above Rhys’ port,

 

“Please Rhysie. I’m so fucking sorry. You need to let me do this. PLEASE.”

 

He couldn’t take it anymore. As much as his mind protested, everything else screamed louder and was weak. Rhys gave up holding back and looked into Jack’s eyes, tears rolling down his face.

 

“Do it.”

 

He let Jack take full control.

 

Vallory laughed, “Oh really? Begging for it now?”

 

Rhys spoke but in a rough and harsh tone. Jack was speaking, “OOoohhh bitch. You’ll be begging in a second.”

 

Jack brought his head back and broke Vallory’s nose. He tore the mechanical arm free and broke out of the chair. Rhys was protesting in his mind because he could feel the pain but Jack was high on adrenaline and couldn’t feel a thing. Rhys began laughing manically. Vallory stood and pushed the knife towards Rhys. Jack forgot and brought Rhys’ flesh arm up to protect himself, causing the blade to cut cleanly through his arm. All of a sudden, the door flew open and in came Fiona with August wrapped in her arms, holding her gun firming to his head. Sasha was right on her tail. Vallory twisted the blade, causing Jack and Rhys to scream. She held him close and caged him in her arms. Fiona shouted,

 

“Let Rhys go and I’ll let your son live.”

 

Vallory smirked and dug the knife up Rhys’ arm. Jack laughed and spoke through pants, “OOOHHH BITCH. YOU ARE SO GOING TO REGRET THAT.”

 

She slapped him, “QUIET.”

 

Sasha couldn’t even look at Rhys. She tried to avoid his mangled body but kept looking anyways.

 

“You are a monster!”

 

Vallory laughed, “Yeah. Some say that. Now, go ahead and kill the twerp. See if I care. But this one isn’t leaving until I get a clear answer.”

 

Sasha looked between Rhys and Fiona. She stared at Vallory and nodded her head,

 

“Fine. We’ll do this the hard way.”

 

Sasha pulled out her own gun and aimed it steadily at Vallory,

 

“Let Rhys go and I promise not to kill you myself.”

 

Jack chuckled, “Man goggles! Nice.”

 

Sasha cocked an eyebrow at Rhys, “Excuse-”

 

With that brief window, Vallory pulled the knife out of Rhys and threw it directly at Sasha. She dodged it but ended up getting her gun kicked out from her as Vallory grabbed it and turned the trigger on her. Jack felt himself wobble and fall as Rhys pushed back.

 

“VALLORY DON’T YOU DARE.”

 

Vallory smirked at her son, “Sorry dear. But this is for your own good.”

 

Rhys passed Jack’s control and fully regained his body. Just as Vallory was about to pull the trigger on Sasha, Rhys screamed at the top of his lungs, “STOOOOOP!”

 

She looked towards him and back to Sasha, chuckling,

 

“You know. I didn’t think it’d be a girl. Talk boy. Or Sasha gets it.”

 

Fiona was stunned and looked at Rhys. Sasha stared at Rhys,

 

“Please don-”

 

Rhys didn’t even hesitate, “Handsome Jack’s in my head.”

 

Vallory dropped the gun slightly, “Say that again?”

 

Rhys sighed and felt Jack immediately cheer in the back of his head,

 

“I said, Handsome Jack is here. Clear as day. In my head.”

 

Vallory smirked and fully lowered the gun. Sasha spoke,

 

“No. Rhys. WHY.”

 

Rhys didn’t look at any of them. He shook his head as Jack began laughing through him. Just as Vallory stepped towards Rhys, her phone began ringing. She picked it up and put the person on speaker. It was Springs.

 

“Hey there! GOOD NEWS! I found MORE extra parts and we are good for HELIOS! The jet is all ready! Get your butt back here. The sooner you’re here, the sooner they can take off!”

 

Vallory hung up without answering. She grinded her teeth and stepped closer to Rhys. She grabbed his face and squeezed as he stared at her.

 

“I’ll deal with you later.”

 

She pushed him to the side and turned to the others.

 

“Well, you heard her. GET MOVING.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know when you sit down and write and there's that ONE chapter you really feel? That was this one.
> 
>  
> 
> I had to stop writing for a few days to stop shaking.


	22. Helios

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beatings don't slow down the group as they head to Helios. When one plan goes wrong, it all crumbles down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. Rhys is good. We're all good, right?! 
> 
>  
> 
> I'm sorry.

Light crinkling came from the caravan as it sat. Vaughn paced within, waiting to hear anything. That’s when he heard the struggle from inside the building and jumped to the caravan door. He opened it and saw Vallory and August hop in the truck. They drove towards the caravan and waited. Vaughn turned and saw Fiona and Sasha carrying over Rhys. He was bloody, beaten but alive.

 

_Thank God._

 

Vaughn walked over and paused just in front of him. Rhys looked at him for a moment before collapsing into his friend’s arms. Vaughn held him close and started walking him into the caravan.

 

"You're a sight for sore eyes."

 

Rhys chuckled, wiping his tears, "Not bad yourself."

 

Vaughn sighed, "It's over bro."

 

Rhys exhaled and shook his head, "It's never over."

 

They drove back in silence. Rhys avoided everyone and sat on the roof, feeling the cool air brush against his arms. Rhys closed his eyes and for a moment pictured himself jumping off the caravan and getting run over but immediately jolted himself awake. Rhys curled in further, closed his eyes and waited to return to Scooters. Jack gave him that silence and didn't bother Rhys. This was the one time Rhys was alone and part of him was glad.

 

When they arrived, Vallory pushed through and began talking with Springs about the plan. To avoid being around the group and their tricks, Kroger and Finch forced Vaughn, pulling him to find Vasquez’s face while the rest of them were kept under more guard. Rhys felt himself getting weak and leaned against the wall. Sasha noticed and leaned Rhys against herself.

 

“Let’s get you cleaned up.”

 

Sasha pulled Rhys into the dinning area and grabbed a med kit from the bathroom. Rhys sat there, staring down at his broken and bloody body. He felt like shit but nothing compared to the weight on his mind. They remained silent until Sasha started dabbing Rhys' wounds.

 

Rhys winced, “Ow.”

 

Sasha smirked, “Baby.”

 

Sasha dabbed Rhys’ wounds and flinched at his sight. Every inch of his body was covered in blood. Sasha couldn’t tell the difference between actual wounds and just spots of blood, so she had to fully wipe Rhys down. She sighed as he kept wincing. Where Rhys wasn’t red with blood, he was black and blue with bruises of every kind. Sasha examined Rhys fully and knew he would need multiple stitches and possibly crutches. His leg was sprained and his knee was dislocated. Multiple ribs were broken and he had a mild concussion so she refused to let him sleep, no matter how much his body protested. His hand was surprisingly not broken but would need to be wrapped up for a few weeks. Even his nose was slightly crooked. Sasha’s face grew white as she continued to look over all of his injuries and Rhys noticed.

 

“Sash, stop looking at me like I’m broken.”

 

She sighed, “I can’t help it when you are.”

 

Rhys shrugged, wincing at the movement, “Could be worse. I could be dead.”

 

Sasha stopped for a moment and looked Rhys right in the eyes,

 

“Please don’t say that.”

 

Rhys noticed the worry and immediately dropped his head. Sasha didn’t move and Rhys needed to keep talking or else he felt he would lose himself.

 

“I-I’m sorry.” “I’m sorry.”

 

They both spoke. Rhys looked up and tried again,

 

“Shoot. I’m-” “No I-”

 

Sasha giggled and Rhys felt his smirk form. Rhys put up his newly wrapped hand,

 

“How about you go first?”

 

Sasha shook her head, “If anything, you should.”

 

Rhys frowned and felt his head getting light again, “No. You. I need to…be distracted.”

 

Sasha realized what Rhys meant and cleared her throat.

 

“I just… I’m sorry you had to do all this shit for me to completely ruin everything. I mean, if I was the way to get you to answer, why did you take the hard way and let all this shit happen?”

 

Rhys hadn’t thought about it. He just went with it and thought for the best only to find himself barely hanging on. He shivered before answering,

 

“If it meant keeping you all out of it, there was no other way but the hard way.”

 

Rhys didn’t see any other way because he was scared and thought he’d get shot. Yet, here they were still going after the vault and returning to the only other place Rhys could die in.

 

Rhys noticed Sasha’s eyes grow watery. Immediately, his gut felt the impact. He grabbed Sasha’s hand with his mechanical one, avoiding using his weaker hand.

 

“I…Sorry. I didn’t mean-”

 

Sasha cut him off and kissed him firming. Jack awoke briefly and huffed,

 

“Great.”

 

Rhys brought Sasha closer, kissing her back deeply and madly. His body protested but he thought he’d never get a chance like this again. Tears Sasha tried to hold back fell as they continued to fall into each other. They heard someone walk in and broke off, causing Rhys to wince again and grabbed his stomach. Scooter stood there and sighed,

 

“Guess this means you ain’t a free woman?”

 

Sasha blushed and coughed, “Uh-”

 

Rhys coughed and spit out blood, “Scooter? Mind not saying anything and maybe giving us a sec?”

 

Scooter swayed on his feet but didn’t shift, “I would but uh. The others are waitin’. We need to head out. Like, yesterday. Or somethin’. That’s what the freaky fella said.”

 

Rhys sighed and looked towards Sasha, “Was nice while it lasted.”

 

Sasha blushed and bit her lip, “Sorry.”

 

Rhys smirked and shook his head, “No need. Had a moment. _All good_.”

 

_FUCKSCOOTER AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH._

Jack flashed beside Rhys and was glaring at him. Rhys swallowed, feeling embarrassed and slightly off. Sasha cleared her throat,

 

“Guess we should go?”

 

Rhys heart dropped slightly but he hesitated before he reluctantly nodding, “Yeah. Guess it’s time.”

 

Sasha helped him stand and was led by Scooter to the launch pad. They stared up at the rocket and Rhys dryly whistled,

 

“That sure is big.”

  
Scooter waved his hand, “Pfft. Big? Springs done bigger.”

 

Springs appeared and rolled her eyes, “Scooters just being modest. Honestly, this was a challenge. Was lucky to get it done this fast.”

 

August showed up with Finch and Kroger, pushing Springs back,

 

“You two ready? We launch in ten.”

 

Rhys huffed, “Not giving us much of a choice.”

 

August looked down to Sasha, “You goin’ with them? Could easily stay here with-”

 

“Of course I’m going.”

 

Rhys smirked and tapped Sasha’s shoulder, “I think it’s best we meet up with the rest.”

 

Sasha helped Rhys hobble to the others, prepping in Scooter’s garage. Springs was giving Scooter last minute instructions about the launch,

 

“And chances are they won’t last that long. If we don’t get the boost we need, might have to manually do it. I would do it myself but Athena could show up any minute and I wanna' be here when she does. Which is why you need to be there Scooter.”

 

Scooter jumped, “YEEEHAAAWWW. THIS IS GONNA’ BE AWESOME!”

 

The group noticed Sasha and Rhys walk in. They smiled over and Vaughn walked towards Rhys, going to take him but Sasha held firm,

 

“I got em’.”

 

Rhys blushed and smiled down to Sasha. She blushed and rolled her eyes. Fiona noticed and cleared her throat,

 

“So. We’ve got somewhat of a plan. We’re all going to head up there. Sasha and I will find access to Jack's office through the VIP tour while Vaughn is going to go as Vasquez and Rhys, you are going as you.”

 

Rhys frowned, “Sounds dangerous.”

 

Fiona smirked and rubbed her hands, “Yes. It probably is but they want your head and Vasquez being the one to deliver you is our only way in. The rest of us will do our best to get to Jack’s office while you guys are a bit preoccupied.”

 

A door swung open and Vallory stomped in. Rhys felt numb and avoided her eyes. His body immediately froze and went into a panic. Vallory brought her goons and began clapping,

 

“That _was_ the plan. But things have changed.”

 

She lifted her gun and aimed it at Rhys and carefully brought it over everyone until stopping on Vaughn.

 

“Rhys is going as Vasquez. You little man, are staying here.”

 

Rhys pushed Sasha aside and panicked, “Uh no. Vaughn can function, I can’t.”

 

Vallory pointed her gun and waved it for Vaughn to move, "I need some leverage for you all to come back exactly as planned."

 

Rhys put his hands up and grabbed Vaughn to stop him, "If anyone should stay, it's me. I can barely walk-"

 

"I can make it worse you know. We need you because you know what to do up there. And Vaughn here is your closest buddy. The others don't care about you."

 

Sasha broke, "That's not true."

 

The chuckle that escaped Vallory sent shivers down Rhys' spine, "Or we could have a repeat of this week Rhys. I could go for a round two. Could you?"

 

Rhys felt worse and avoided her eyes. Vaughn turned and smiled at Rhys, "It's fine bro. You got this. Just... Get back here fast before things get weird."

 

Vallory laughed and spit on the ground.

 

Rhys stomach fell as he looked to Vaughn. He sighed and shook his head,

 

“I don’t want you-”

 

Vaughn shrugged, “It’s fine. You’ll figure it out.”

 

Rhys laughed, “That sounds like a plan.”

 

Vallory clicked her gun, “Ahem.”

 

Vaughn noticed and put up his hands, “Okay. Okay. Jeeze.”

 

Rhys attempted to limp over to the rest of the group, feeling weak and completely out of it. As he reached Fiona, he fell against her. She sighed,

 

“Vallory is a bitch. Rhys, how-”

 

“I’ll be fine. Let’s just get this over with.”

 

With that, Fiona, Rhys, Sasha, Scooter, Kroger and Finch all loaded into the rocket, plan ready and minds scrambling. Springs counted out the count down and immediately blasted the rocket off towards Helios. Fiona and Sasha worked together to drive the rocket and were stunned by the sights.

 

Sasha smiled, “In all my days…”

 

Fiona laughed, “Never seen anything like it.”

 

The ship rattled and shook but held steady. With every shake, Rhys felt his body wince, pull back and hurt. He held on to his puking as best as he could but the pain wasn’t making it easy. Kroger had to hold Finches hand because he was terrified of flying. The thing that made this all worth it was Sasha and not having Vallory around. Having Jack constantly complain in Rhys' head didn’t help, but it was better than being tortured or dead.

 

LB began speaking through the speaker,

 

“ALERT. THRUSTERS ARE HEAVILY DAMAGED.”

 

Scooter popped out of his seat and nearly cheered, “TIME FOR SPACE MECHANIC! WOOO WOOOO!”

 

Scooter popped out of his seat and began floating towards the hatch in the roof, hesitating before getting an O2 pack.

 

“I will be in need of some assistance. Fiona, if you would kindly assist me.”

 

Fiona huffed, “I know nothing about mechanics. Why not Rhys?”

 

Rhys laughed, “Yeah. Cause I can barely walk but I can fix a thruster? Pfft.”

 

Fiona sighed and jumped out of her seat to Scooter,

 

“What are we doing?”

 

They popped out of the caravan and began clinging onto the ends. LB and Gortys sat at the top, waving at them. Fiona sighed,

 

“Couldn’t LB help you?”

 

Scooter snorted, “Them things never like me.”

 

He continued to move until they got near the back,

 

“Now Fiona, if you’d so kindly, we gotta split up to make up ground. You go right, I’ll go left. We gotta stop the thrusters to reboot and detach them or they’ll blow a hole greater than my aunts-”

 

“Scooter. Please.”

 

He giggled and waved, “You know. Anyways, BREAK!”

 

They split off and made it to the ends. Fiona was barely able to hold on because of how cold everything felt. She reached her side and found a vent opening and closing quickly where a button lay dead inside. She sighed,

 

“Tell me it’s not-”

 

“If you see a yellow button with some closing doors, you gotta reach in and press that baby quickly. And uh, Fiona? Do it fast. Them doors come clamping down real mighty.”

 

Fiona counted in her head and as if on instinct, reached out, pushed the button and was successful getting herself free.

 

“YES!”

 

She pulled the release on the thruster and watched it float into Pandora.

 

“Great. Now, I hate to bug yeah, come down to my end.”

 

Fiona didn’t like the sound in Scooter’s voice. She floated over and immediately saw his hand stuck within the doors.

 

“No. NO NO NO!”

 

Scooter kept smiling and didn’t waver, “Ah. It’s fine. But Fiona, we don’t got much time. You gotta release this thruster or else we’re all screwed.”

Fiona shook her head and tried to pull Scooter’s hand out but nothing worked. His hand was purple.

 

“There’s gotta be another way.”

 

Scooter shushed her, “Fi, I’m sorry. But there ain’t.”

 

They went quiet for a moment until LB interrupted, “30 SECONDS UNTIL DETONATION.”

 

Fiona began shaking, “No. Scooter please!”

 

“God damn Fiona, release me. It’s all good. When you finish, tell ma I did good. Tell her I was a bad ass space cowboy!”

 

Fiona felt her eyes water as she grabbed Scooter and hugged him,

 

“I’m so sorry. Thank you Scooter.”

 

“Was my pleasure.”

 

With his free hand, he pushed Fiona back and she released the thrusters. With one final breath, Scooter waved and screamed,

 

“CATCH A RIIIIIDDDDDDDEEEEEEE.”

 

Fiona refused to watch his departure. She went back into the caravan where everyone stared at her. No one spoke until a rough voice came over the intercom.

 

“You’re entering into private property. Please identify.”

 

Everyone looked to Rhys. He clicked his neck and turned into Vasquez, his disguise for the trip. He spoke with Vasquez’s voice and it made Rhys feel wrong, hearing a dead man's voice come out of his. Jack laughed, 

“That’s reassuring.”

 

Rhys approached the COM and spoke clearly,

 

“Hey assholes. It’s me, Vasquez.”

 

The man on the other end laughed but still sounded rough, “Oh ho. Welcome home. Assquez. You’ve got some explaining to do.”

 

They continued to fly into Helios’s docking area where Rhys grabbed the bits of Vasquez’s body in a cooler - which Vaughan had repeatedly apologized for - readied his legs and made his way off the caravan where he was greeted by two guards.

 

“Sup ladies.”

 

The guards didn’t hesitate.

 

“So Vasquez. Care to explain why you showed up in a bandit caravan with a Loader on the roof, you limping and… a tiny waving bot?”

 

Gortys was waving and Rhys sighed to himself. He smirked at them and changed the subject,

 

“What I need explaining is why I wasn’t given anymore backup? Here I was going after Rhys myself and I-”

 

“I thought you were dead you asshole.”

 

A voice approached the group of them. Rhys insides leap as Yvette approached him,

 

“Yvette. It’s so good to see-”

 

“Where is he?”

 

Rhys hesitated when he realized she was referring to him, “I think we should talk privately.”

 

Yvette pushed Rhys and saw the cooler, “You… you’re kidding. The deal was to bring Rhys in ALIVE. Not in pieces. Oh my God. See, this is why I’m being promoted.”

 

Rhys froze, “Wait wh-”

 

“What happened?”

 

He looked back at the caravan and couldn’t believe anything. Jack huffed,

 

“Told yeah. Can’t. Trust. Anyone.”

 

“There was a mix up Yvette. Regardless, you got him. Now take him. I’ve got other shit to deal with.”

 

He threw the cooler at her and marched off towards Vasquez’s office. Formally Henderson’s and Rhys’ office but that was a long time ago. As Rhys entered the station, people snickered as he walked by or avoided his gaze altogether. Pain shot up his body but the adrenaline kicking in allowed Rhys to keep going. Rhys paid no attention to it as they were already running low on time. He entered the office and he found it almost identical to when he had left. No one was around. He ran to the desk and began scrambling.

 

“Of course.”

 

He needed a login. Knowing his real one wouldn’t work, he began hacking into it with his ECHO. But a firewall appeared,

 

“For fu-”

 

Jack pushed his head through the screen, “Need help?”

 

Rhys kept trying to hack but he was struggling, “Only for now.”

 

Jack smirked and helped Rhys hack into the systems.

 

“And just as planned. Fiona, you guys are clear. Head to the Hall of Heroism. That’s where everyone goes on break. That or the café but I doubt our tour guide would stand a second around people.”

 

Fiona gave Rhys a thumbs up in one of the camera’s as the group of them made their way into the hall. He heard the doors open and when he looked up, Yvette was on his trail again.

 

“What are you doing here? You did hear me when I said I got promoted. I’M in charge now. Get out of my desk.”

 

Rhys smirked and put his feet up on the desk, “Have any luck with Rhys?”

 

She crossed her arms, “No actually. I’m glad you brought it up though. That’s not Rhys in that cooler. So explain what the hell happened down there.”

 

Jack laughed, “Hyperion man. I missed this place.”

 

Rhys tapped his foot and stood up, fixing his blazer,

 

“I told you what happened. There was a mix up. Shit happens. Now, if you don’t mind-”

 

Yvette stepped in his way, “I don’t think so. What the hell happened to Rhys? First I don’t get a single signal from you. I think you’re all dead and then out of nowhere I get no signal from Rhys OR Vaughn. So tell me where they are.”

 

Rhys saw Jack chuckle, “Oh yeah. That was me. You’re welcome for that. Just in case you forgot to thank me from stopping people from tracking you.”

 

Rhys rolled his eyes and looked at Yvette, “I had to do shit that required you to stay off my back for a little while. The other two are dead. Happy? Now please-”

 

Yvette laughed, “Are you kidding? Please? That’s it. I’m calling security.”

 

Rhys panicked and noticed Jack beside him,

 

“You remember our little friend, Dumpy? He’s still with yeah buddy. Use em.”

 

Rhys froze and pulled up his ECHO. As if on queue, Dumpy popped out from Rhys and flew around. He smirked and gave a simple command,

 

“Stop her.”

 

Dumpy made a loud squealing and bolted towards Yvette. She barely had time to react when Dumpy fired an electric dart at her. She was on the ground, spasming and frozen. Rhys limped towards Yvette and kneeled down so he was by her eyes. Briefly, Rhys put the disguise down and smiled,

 

“Oh yeah. By the way, I’m still alive. Thanks for caring.”

 

Rhys put his Vas-guise back on and headed out of the office. He put his ECHO on and called the others,

 

“Any update? How’s it going?”

 

Sasha snorted, “Brilliantly. You two should seriously see the supervisors headcounters. Rhys, you’ve talked this place up lightly. It’s beautiful.”

 

“Yeah yeah. Fiona?”

 

She froze and sighed, “Let’s just say the VIP tour goers were… anxious to see Jack’s office.”

 

Jack chuckled, “All the fan boys love me. Isn’t that right Rhysie?”

 

“Shut up.”

 

The girls both argued, “Wow. Uncalled for.”

 

He rubbed his face and leaned against a wall, feeling his legs give out on him.

 

“That was Jack. Sorry. Shit.”

 

He fell to the ground and felt his body shake.

 

“Listen. We need a plan and fast. I can barely stand anymore, let alone keep my mind at ease.”

 

The other lines went dead for a moment. Rhys rubbed his legs and tried to calm his nerves but his mind kept buzzing. Jack bit his lip and leaned down to Rhys’ eye level.

 

“You know, I could help if you ask.”

 

Rhys closed his eyes and sighed, “Fuck off Jack.”

 

“Language.”

 

Sasha broke one line, “Well, what’s he suggesting?”

 

Rhys opened his eyes to Jack smirking. He rolled his eyes and shook his head,

 

“Well?”

 

Jack rubbed his hands and stood up, “Still gotta’ get to my office. There’s always more then one way in Rhysie. Remember?”

 

Rhys huffed, “Yeah. The Fast Travel. What help that is.”

 

“Tsk tsk. Not that. There’s also a lovely trap door.”

 

Rhys froze and looked up to Jack, “A trap door?”

 

Fiona laughed, “And where exactly would that be?”

 

Jack continued, “It’s right above the security office and jails. Whatever. Just meet there.”

 

“Jack said it’s in jail. Apparently. Can you two meet in the security office?”

 

Sasha giggled, “On it!”

 

Fiona sighed, “I don’t have the fancy ass clearance you two have so how am I getting there?”

 

Rhys smiled, “You’re a criminal. You figure it out.”

 

Fiona rolled her eyes and hung up.

 

_Aim for something valuable._

 

Fiona looked to Gortys and patted the robot,

 

“Time to go to jail.”

 

Fiona ran at a map and began tearing the place apart. The guard ran at them and arrested them. Gortys put up their hands,

 

“We’re getting arrested! THIS IS FANTASTIC!”

 

Fiona chuckled and allowed the guard to cuff their hands.

 

 

 

Rhys had his head on the hall wall and Jack watched confused, right behind him,

 

“You want me to what again?”

 

Jack groaned and put his fingers on the bridge of his nose, “You gotta’ climb the damn death trap up the other way. Is it really that hard to understand? Am I stuttering? Speaking Spanish? What do you not get?”

 

Rhys was stunned, “I’m just confused as to why _I_ have to climb it and why one of the girls can’t. Jack, I can barely STAND, and you want me climbing a ladder? Might as well knock me out because that’s exactly what’s going to happen.”

 

“Rhysie. You never listen, muffin. I don’t want anyone but you in that office. I don’t trust them.”

 

“You don’t trust anyone.”

 

Jack nodded and shrugged, “I mean, yes. But I…”

 

Jack paused and stared as Rhys turned to see his face,

 

“You were just going to say you trust me, weren’t you?”

 

Jack crossed his arms and pouted, “So?”

 

Rhys couldn’t believe his ears, “Seriously? Say it. I dare you. Say you trust me.”

 

Jack grinded his teeth, “I trust you Rhys. Now screw off and go climb up my trap door.”

 

Rhys snorted, “Okay.”

 

As Rhys struggled to get up, he limped his way down the hall. He got a few weird glances and even a few people asked if he was okay, which he had to reply like an asshole to each and everyone of them to keep the disguise up. When he reached the elevator, his heart was pounding and he was sweating. He had not realized how much pain he was fighting through just to walk but his body was ready to give up.

 

“Not yet Rhysie. I promise. You get to my office and we can relax a bit. Like you always used to.”

 

The way Jack said it left a bitter taste in Rhys’ mouth. He waited for the elevator, not giving Jack any glances until they were on the security level. Briefly, he wiped his brows of any sweat, fixed his fake shirt and entered the security office where Fiona was arguing with the guard,

 

“I saw a map, don’t lie.”

 

“Whatever you saw wasn’t there.”

 

Gortys waved over, “Oh hi Rhys. Ops.”

 

The guard looked over to Vasquez, Gortys and back to Vasquez,

 

“Uh. Why’d that bot just call you Rhys?”

 

Rhys chuckled nervously, “How much did you beat them? Looks like the bot has brain damage or something.”

 

The guard chuckled, “Just regular beatings sir. Now, what can I do for you Vasquez.”

 

Rhys crossed his arms and immediately leaned against one of the desks.

 

_Hold on, legs._

“Let’s just say it’s confidential and I need these two. Alone.”

 

The guard nodded his head, “Okay. Anything I can do?”

 

Rhys smirked, “How about you leave and pretend you never… saw any of this. I’ll take care of them and the crimes they did.”

 

The guard saluted and walked out. Once the coast was clear, Rhys took his disguise off and fell into one of the chairs, wincing.

 

“Never. Standing. Again.”

 

Fiona chuckled, “That’s great. So, where’s this trap door?”

 

Rhys looked around, “Yeah and where’s Sasha?”

 

Fiona realized and shrugged, “She’s probably fine. Anyways, we goin’ or what?”

 

Jack appeared and smirked, “Don’t really have time to worry. Hat’s right. Come on.”

 

Jack led the way but Rhys had trouble standing. Fiona noticed and ran, picking Rhys up.

 

“You know, I’m surprised you lasted this long.”

 

Rhys chuckled and sighed, “I’ve been through worse but this comes to a close second.”

 

Gortys popped their voice in, “Your first one must be terrible.”

 

Rhys sighed, “It was.”

 

Rhys had to lead Fiona and Gortys as he was the only one who could see Jack travel down a darker hallway. When they reached the turn, the walls and room began to smell like blood. Rhys’ stomach turned.

 

_Great._

 

They reached the trap door and discovered exactly why it had its name. There were blades, flames, lasers and everything else deadly hiding within the tunnel. Blood and body parts were splattered all across the floor and roof. Rhys closed his eyes for a moment,

 

“How exactly do we get up?”

 

Jack pointed along the wall, “That lever. Hold it up and it halts everything. See? Teamwork! But Rhys, You go or no one goes.”

 

He shuddered and looked at Fiona. Jack wasn’t wrong. Rhys could barely stand let alone hold his arms up and the longer they waited the higher a chance of them being caught became. Rhys sighed and tapped Fiona,

 

“That lever. Hold it up for me.”

 

Fiona placed Rhys against the wall and did so, halting and creating silence in the room. She looked to him and smirked,

 

“Okay. Now what?”

 

Rhys sighed and saw Jack pointing up,

 

“Go. You got this pumpkin!”

 

Rhys sighed, “Guess I start climbing. Unsure how I’m getting up there.”

 

Gortys sprang into action, “Climb on, boss! I can lift you up.”

 

Rhys smirked and carefully placed his feet on Gortys, “You can’t feel this right?”

 

Gortys laughed, “Actually I can. It’s excruciating!”

 

Rhys frowned and readied himself, “Go!”

 

Gortys flung Rhys up and he caught the ladder with his robotic arm. He hauled himself up and began climbing. He held his breath as much as he could because now he was in tighter contact with the smell and look of blood. His ECHO went off as someone tried to call him. August spoke loud, clear and impatient,

 

“What’s taking so long?”

 

Rhys sighed and did his best to use the distraction to climb, “Ran into some trouble but I’m almost at Jack’s office.”

 

“Well hurry up. People are starting to question us and it’ll only be a matter of time before we have to get out of here.”

 

Rhys rolled his eyes and hung up the call. As he reached the top, he pushed the hatch as best as he could, popped it open and moved it over. He reached the top, climbed out and sprawled on the ground, feeling the cool air reach his skin. He took in sharp breaths and stared at the old familiar roof of Jack’s office.

 

Jack appeared over Rhys and smirked down at him, “See? Not that bad.”

 

Rhys laughed, “You. Are. The worst.”

 

Jack chuckled, “The BEST at being the Worst. I know.”

 

Rhys took a moment to catch his breath before rolling over and forcing himself to stand. He noticed the hatch close and formed back to the normal floor. Rhys took a look around. Jack’s office was cleaner then he remembered. Everything was set perfectly and no files or lingering alcohol scents filled the room.

 

“Weird being back.”

 

Jack huffed, “You’re tellin’ me.”

 

He looked at Jack’s desk and saw the locket that had once been Angels. Beside it was a picture of her. Jack noticed and sighed,

 

“My little Angel. Man…I miss her.”

 

Rhys frowned but didn’t say anything. He leaned against the desk and looked around. Statues of Jack’s face filled the area, along with ropes closing off certain sections for the VIP tour. Rhys sighed and looked towards Jack who was now sitting in his chair, legs up and staring at his daughter’s picture.

 

“You know, after having died, you’d think I’d remember seeing Angel’s face one last time.”

 

Rhys crossed his arms but avoided Jack’s eyes, “Maybe a part of you is with her.”

 

Jack painfully smirked, “Yeah. Maybe.”

 

The moment lasted for a few more minutes until Rhys winced and felt his legs give out, landing hard on his knees. Jack sighed,

 

“Guess we keep moving.”

 

Rhys nearly laughed, “I can barely move, Jack. I need rest. Just. Five minutes.”

 

“Nah Rhys. We don’t have time.”

 

He pointed towards the far left of Rhys, “Over there. Trophies. Should have the piece in there somewhere.”

 

Rhys looked up and saw the trophy shelf but it looked a million miles away. Carefully, he brought his body back up and used the desk and walls for support as he dragged himself to the trophies. He saw various guns, some pieces of broken claptraps and even Nisha’s old hat. He noticed a few things that confused him like feathers or even,

 

“A goatee?”

 

Jack laughed from his desk, “Oh yeah. Pulled that off Tassiter – our old boss. Remember that asshole? MAN it felt great.”

 

“And a deed to Atlas? I thought you didn’t know anything _about_ Atlas?”

 

Jack chuckled and glared at Rhys, “I said I didn’t know SOME Atlas. Not that I didn’t know them at all.”

 

Rhys rolled his eyes and found his eyes lock on a tiny orb, “Think this is it?”

 

Jack shrugged, “Probably. But what do I know, right?”

 

Rhys rolled his eyes and picked up the piece, calling Gortys on his ECHO, “Hey buddy. Is this it?”

 

Gortys cheered, “THAT’S IT! Awe it’s so cute. Bring it on back!”

 

Rhys smiled and tucked it away in his pocket. As he turned, he noticed Jack staring out to Elpis. He limped his way over to Jack and looked down at the broken moon.

 

“Do you miss it?”

 

Jack glanced at Rhys, “Miss it? You’re asking me if I miss this? Of course I do. I’m a ghost for f-.”

 

Rhys sighed and broke the subject,

 

“Any idea how to reopen the hatch?”

 

Jack shrugged, “Maybe.”

 

He waited a few seconds before asking again, “And? How do I get out?”

 

Jack sighed, flickered out of sight until he flickered back, sitting in the chair in front of the desk. He waved his hand to his big office chair,

 

“Take a seat, Rhys.”

 

Rhys did as he was told. He was dying to sit down at this point. As soon as his butt hit the cushioned seat, he felt his being sink and immediately felt numb. He giggled to himself and closed his eyes. Jack noticed,

 

“How does it feel?”

 

Rhys smirked, “Feels good.”

 

Jack chuckled, “Yeah. That’ll be the drugs going through your system to calm you.”

 

Rhys barely opened his eyes to look towards Jack and smirked, “Appreciated.”

 

Jack wasn’t smiling and leaned over towards Rhys, “Ever picture yourself here - Sitting in that chair?”

 

Rhys opened his eyes further as he felt the pain in his body subside, “N-I never pictured any of this.”

 

Jack hummed, “Well, here you are Rhys. Made it all the way to the big kids table.”

 

Rhys hummed. Part of him didn’t want to move but he knew he’d have to eventually.

 

_Ain’t no rest for the wicked._

Jack avoided Rhys’ eyes and looked down at his hands, “It’s funny. I never pictured any of this either. All I wanted, all I ever wanted was for the world to be safe. That’s the thing about wanting something and getting something. People never get what they want.”

 

“Just tell me how to open the trap door.”

 

“It’s behind your right pinky.”

 

Rhys smiled and went to push it when Jack continued,

 

“I never wanted any of this for Angel… and yet that’s what I got. I wanted the world to be free of dangers. Of those freakin’ Vault Hunters. Bandits.”

 

Rhys sighed, “Don’t we all? What’s your point?”

 

They went quiet for a moment until Jack raised his brows and grew a bit ambitious,

 

“What if we could? Once and for all, Rhysie.”

 

Rhys heart stopped for a moment as he felt the last of the drugs flow into his body.

 

“But it-How?-”

 

Jack stood, “Together, we-You could stop all that madness - All this shit that’s been going on! Just for a moment Rhys. Think about that.”

 

Rhys shrugged, “If I could, I would.”

 

Jack smiled, “Anyone would. So what’s stopping you? We’ve got Helios right here man. Literally in arms reach. All you gotta’ do is take it and use it.”

 

Rhys sat up slightly, “I’m lost.”

 

Jack laughed and stepped closer, “Why do you think I only wanted YOU up here Rhysie? You take over as the leader, with my help of course. We stop this shit together. You’ll finally get to lead just like you’ve always dreamed. No more running. No more hiding for your life. You get to take control. You’re home buddy.”

 

Rhys shook his head, “Home? No. This was never my home. It was a place I slept and worked in but it was never my home. I dreamt of leading a long time ago Jack but I don’t want that anymore. It’s enough I can barely keep my head up but this? This is nuts. No, Jack. I’m-I’m sorry but that’s a responsibility I’m not ready to take on.”

 

Jack frowned and chuckled darkly, “Wrong answer.”

 

As Rhys went to push the button, he felt his arm go numb and his body was yanked up. Jack had control,

 

“Jack?”

 

He slammed Rhys’ down hard and from behind the chair came a drive. Rhys flinched and felt his body shake,

 

“Jack plea-AHHHH”

 

Jack used Rhys to grab the drive and forced it into Rhys’ port. Everything within Rhys sparked and caused him to convulse.

 

 

Fiona tapped her foot and looked around,

 

"What's taking him?"

 

Gortys and Fiona heard a noise from the hall. Fiona paused and looked down to Gortys who immediately went to investigate. She tried to grab Gortys but couldn't leave the lever. 

 

"Gortys wait!"

 

Gortys stopped at the end of the hall and waved at someone,

 

"OH HI!"

 

Fiona groaned and looked around, finding a broom barely within reach. She lifted it with her foot and positioned it carefully under the lever.

 

_Guess that'll have to do._

 

Quietly, Fiona made her way towards Gortys. When Gortys found Fiona, they cheered,

 

"And here she is now!"

 

Fiona moaned and slowly stood up to face the crowd. She was stunned when she found a couple guards with Yvette and her sister.

 

"Fiona, right?"

 

She sighed and put her hands up, "What do you want?"

 

Yvette smirked, "You're the ones that broke in. Get moving."

 

One of the guards rounded Fiona and pushed her to start walking. Sasha was rubbing her arm and sighed,

 

"Sorry."

 

Fiona shrugged. As they approached the jail cells, Yvette stopped and crossed her arms,

 

"Any idea where Rhys is? Could make this a lot easier."

 

Fiona smirked and crossed her arms, "And why would we tell you?"

 

Yvette frowned, "I'm Rhys' friend-"

 

Sasha laughed, "Yeah okay. And he didn't include you in this plan because?"

 

Yvette crossed her arms and went to speak when loud laughter echoed throughout the station. The distraction gave Sasha enough time to pull back her fists and punch Yvette out cold. Fiona and Gortys did the same with the guards. Fiona looked around, grabbed the access cards from Yvette and the guards and began dragging Yvette towards one of the jail cells,

 

"Put them in the cells."

 

Gortys and Sasha did the same. Once they were free, they ran back to the trap door but still no sign of Rhys.

 

 

 

 

The chair restrained Rhys as the port buzzed within Rhys’ mind. He could hear Jack’s laughter echo not only within his mind but within Helios’s systems. Rhys tried to scream for help but his body refused to move. He was trapped. Jack’s voice boomed around him,

 

“OH MAN it feels good to stretch! Holy hell I’ve missed this. Ahhh. So glad to be out of that STUPID head of yours.”

 

Jack appeared on the computer monitor, the surrounding monitors on the walls and Rhys swore he could feel Jack’s eyes behind him. He willed his body to move but nothing happened. The only thing he was able to do was breath. His eyes wouldn’t even close as he stared out and tried to shift his now clouded vision, filled to the brim with tears.

 

_Jack, please._

“Oh Rhysie. You pathetic little idiot. After EVERYTHING I did for you. This is how you repay me? You say no? I was handing you a golden ticket, kiddo. Could’ve been a hell of a lot easier if you just said yes.”

 

Rhys heart skipped. His breathing shook but he still couldn’t move. He looked towards the monitor and thought carefully,

 

_Why?_

Jack snorted, “Why? Pfft. Think about it. Do you really think all of this was one big coincidence?”

 

Rhys felt everything slow down. His heart raced but his mind froze.

 

_You asshole._

Jack laughed and floated around the monitors, “Let’s piece this together, shall we? A few days before I left for the Vault, what did I tell you I was doing? I was prepping just in case things fell south. You wanna’ know why? Because the Vault on Elpis showed me what I wanted to see. And it showed me three different outcomes. One included me dying.”

 

Rhys port sparked for a moment as Jack moved around and laughed at Rhys. Tears and something warm ran down Rhys’ face. He tried to move his eyes to see it but nothing in his body was responding.

 

Jack continued to observe Rhys, “This port in your brain was all part of a bigger backup plan. Naka-whateverhisface was OBSESSED with me to the point where he was asking me weird questions and he was the one that suggested body doubles. I knew he just wanted one for himself and how can I deny a fan-boy his… pleasures.”

 

Jack chuckled, sending another jolt down Rhys’ head. Rhys felt his eyes roll back, feeling faint but Jack refused to let Rhys pass out,

 

“A ta ta. No rest for you yet.”

 

Rhys ECHO went off and a panicked Fiona spoke clearly, “Rhys? What the hell is taking so long? We gotta’ go. Now.”

 

Rhys panicked and tried to respond but Jack took his voice, “Just resting for a second. Getting into position. You know, hurting. In pain. Owe.”

 

Fiona groaned, “Well, hurry up!”

 

Jack chuckled and shut down Rhys’ ECHO communications. He sighed and bit his lip,

 

“Where was I? Oh yeah. So fan-boy here suggests Tim-Tams. Which, woo, what a great idea. I kept him close. And then he went further. Started creating more robotics for Wilhelm, started creating some for himself and even used an experimental shield to create a nice invisible field for me. Yada yada yada, it eventually led to the idea of immortality.”

 

Rhys’ skin went cold as his heart dropped.

 

_No._

“Oh yes Rhysie. He began pulling every trick. Getting as much information out of me.”

 

Jack shifted his head up and revealed a small port behind his left ear,

 

“This little guy was only the start. He found a way to download my mind into a system, a drive. And then you happened Rhys. Let’s just say you became a back up for a backup. Plan C if you will. And now here we are.”

 

Rhys was no longer scared. He was furious.

 

_Go fuck yourself._

Jack chuckled, “Language.”

 

He sent another jolt through Rhys, causing him to convulse once again.

 

Jack laughed, "You thought I cared with Wallethead? With Vallory? Ha. Rhys. I only cared because I needed to keep you alive. Wasn't gonna' let you die because I needed you.  Just your body. Being used is what you're good for Rhys. I told you to get used to it.”

 

Rhys couldn't move, speak or protest in anyway. Jack had him locked. He was utterly disgusted. Hurt. Unsure. He was wrong. About everything. He felt a pull from his head as the port finally left Rhys. The tingling feeling formed around his face and slowly ran down his body as he regained feeling. He felt cold cheeks and realized tears had soaked his face along with the scent of copper. Blood had trailed down from his port. He was terrified and in shock. He started pulling against his restrains with all his might but Jack laughed and mocked him through the station.

 

"You are nothing without me Rhys. Nothing. And now you are going to BE me. Just like you always wanted."

 

"No."

 

Rhys didn't even notice he spoke. Jack laughed and mimicked Rhys,

 

“No? Ha. I get what I want Rhys. Because…I AM HANDSOME GODDAMN JACK.”

 

The last words echoed throughout the entire station.

 

Buzzing and humming came from Jack’s desk as it began shifting and rising up. Saws, lasers, clamps and an endoskeleton appeared in front of Rhys. The machines got closer as it rose from the desk, aiming for Rhys' body.

 

“Now comes the interesting part. You have to be awake for the procedure so I can download myself into your body. Gonna’ use that meat suit and start all over again. It’ll be great. At least I get to hear you scream one last time Rhysie. Ooohh this is gonna’ be GOOOD.”

 

"NO!"

 

Out of nowhere, his chair started moving and he nearly turned into a fit of laugh. The chair had wheels. The one thing to stop Jack was a Goddamn chair. Rhys started feeling his heart rate rise as he pushed the chair just out of reach.

 

“Are. You. Kidding. Rhysie. Get back here and let’s get this over with.”

 

Rhys laughed and carefully moved the chair towards the saw, cutting off his restrains on his mechanical arm.

 

“AHHHH.”

 

The restrains broke and he pulled his arm free. He pushed the trap door button as one of the clamps came down and grabbed Rhys’ arms. He pulled the laser and burned it apart. Jack was screaming at this point. He held the Gortys piece tight and dodged as Jack tried to use the machines to stop Rhys.

 

"STAY STILL RHYSIE. Isn't this what you want! COME HERE YOU LITTLE-"

 

Rhys slid by the laser, as the escape hatch was open. He fell through without even knowing if the machines were still off. By the way he screamed down, he was clearly safe. He landed hard on the bloody ground and heard Gortys cheer.

 

"Well that's convenient."

 

Rhys struggled, "Ah. My body. My insides are hurting on the inside."

 

Fiona snorted, "Wimp."

 

Rhys struggled to stand, "How about you try falling out of a super high vent."

 

Fiona crossed her arms, "Maybe I will"

 

"Guys. We need to leave. Now."

 

Right on cue, alarms started blaring. Sasha lifted Rhys up and he winced,

 

“Jack’s out. Sorry.”

 

Fiona rolled her eyes and began running, “No time for apologizes.”

 

“Wait.”

 

Sasha paused, “Wha-”

 

Rhys' entire system was in shock. He went from one bad situation to the next and for once, he realized how lucky he was for not being dead yet. Having almost died, again and again and with no Jack in his mind to bicker or complain about it, Rhys grabbed Sasha and forced a kiss onto her. Briefly, Sasha was lost in Rhys until they heard Fiona cough,

 

“You can make out later. Let’s go!”

 

They began running back to the caravan. Rhys was a lot slower then Sasha and was practically being dragged. He heard his name being called and he paused but Sasha tried to pull him.

 

"We don't have time for this."

 

Rhys paused and looked towards the jail, where he faced his friend. Enemy. Frienemy. Sasha huffed and left Rhys there.

 

“Hurry up.”

 

Sasha ran to Fiona as Rhys crossed his arms and smirked,

 

"Oh. Hi Yvette. Sorry, were you asking for help?"

 

Yvette put her hands on her hips, "Rhys, this isn't funny."

 

Rhys laughed and rubbed his eyes, "Oh, no? You trying to kill us isn't funny?"

 

"I swear to you I didn't mean to get you guys hurt. I honestly didn't know you two would survive and when I found out you did, I did everything in my power to help."

 

"Bull."

 

"You know damn well I tried. Everyone here wanted you dead but I made it so the deal was to keep you guys ALIVE. Please Rhys, I'm begging you."

 

Part of Rhys wanted to watch her burn. Screaming for his forgiveness. But another part - one he couldn't ignore - wanted his friend back.

 

"Only if you help me."

 

Yvette cheered and smiled as Rhys let her out, "You won't regret this."

 

Rhys gave her a weary look, "I better not."

 

She grabbed Rhys and helped him run towards the other group but they heard a voice over the speakers, "I don’t think so."

 

A divider started coming down and Rhys did his best. He threw the Gortys piece and it wedged between the floor and the divider. He slid to the ground and found Fiona looking through,

 

"Goddammit Rhys!

 

Sasha was screaming, “I said we didn't have time!"

 

"Sorry. I’m sorry. Look, just grab the piece and get Gortys back to the caravan. I'll find a way to shut Jack down."

 

"And what about her?"

 

Yvette crossed her arms, "Don't appreciate that."

 

Rhys sighed, "It's fine. Just... Fiona?"

 

She put her hand on the piece but waited, "Yeah?"

 

"Please don't leave without me."

 

She smirked, "Wouldn't dream of it"

 

With one hard tug, the piece was in Fiona's hands and the divider was fully down. Fiona, Sasha and Gortys ran towards the elevator as Rhys and Yvette made their way to the Main Control Hub. Rhys had no plan a, b, c or 4. Whatever he was doing was what he always did and he couldn't be more insanely happy with himself.

 

_Improvise._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HMMMMMM. 
> 
>  
> 
> Will this ever end? Probably.
> 
> Probably not. Hahaha
> 
> UPDATE: I've been dealing with a lot of anxiety and stress lately so I feel chapters are going to start coming out slower and slower. Only temporarily :( But just making it aware of any future pause or hold on the story.


	23. What Might've Been Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trying to escape Helios is one thing. Trying to escape Helios while Jack is in control of the station, is a whole other story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so the story goes.
> 
> Sorry it's so short. I have... other terrible things coming.
> 
> "WHAT MIGHT'VE BEEN LOST." - Bon Iver
> 
> CHECK ENDNOTES YO. After you read.

Every twist and turn in the station made Fiona a little more on edge. She had once told Sasha that they would get off Pandora and start a life somewhere else. Fiona did not mean like this. She had never wanted to be back on Pandora more. As soon as they had left, she wanted to go back. At least she knew Pandora. Helios was a different story. Fiona, Gortys and Sasha entered into a new hall leading to the elevators, where the entire room was filled with monitors and Jack’s face smirking at them,

 

“Well, hello ladies.”

 

Fiona held her gun close and began walking up to the elevator. Gortys looked around,

 

“Wow. So you’re Jack?”

 

He chuckled, “Sure am. Now tell me. Where’s Rhys.”

 

Sasha scuffed, “Isn’t he in your office?”

 

“The slimy bastard got away. Now, you can help me find him or you’ll face a bloody end.”

 

They approached monitor’s blocking their path where Fiona pushed through,

 

“Nice try. But no.”

 

Jack slow clapped and chuckled to himself, “Great answer.”

 

The elevator started moving and was coming straight down to their level,

 

“That’ll be the guards I just alerted to come kill you bandits. Last chance. Where’s Rhys?”

 

Sasha shifted, “Fi?”

 

Fiona smirked and waited, “Get behind me.”

 

Sasha hesitated and did as she was told. The elevator paused on their level and it opened to a guard falling over. Splayed out on the elevator floor were guard’s bodies and August standing amongst them. He smirked and aimed his gun towards them,

 

“Duck.”

 

Fiona grabbed the others and fell to the floor as August shot at every monitor. Once bullets fell and he lowered his gun, he chuckled,

 

“Hell of a lot of monitor’s in this hall.”

 

They began making their way to the caravan and found Kroger, Finch and LB waiting patiently. Gortys waddled up to LB and gave them a big hug,

 

“I missed you.”

 

Kroger approached Gortys and patted their back, “Great to see you’re all okay. But we should get you to safety. Come on Gortys.”

 

Fiona didn’t feel right about the situation and made a call. She aimed her gun at Kroger. He pushed his out and Finch did the same thing. August didn’t hesitate and grabbed the Gortys piece out of Fiona’s hands. She tried to hold on but he was too strong,

 

“What the hell August!”

 

Kroger pushed himself and Gortys into the caravan. Finch walked up to August and pulled the piece out of his hands. August stared at him, confused,

 

“The hell?”

 

Finch chuckled, “Change of plans. Your mother told us.”

 

August sighed and followed the others towards the caravan. They were going to leave without them.

 

Sasha started yelling at August, “You can’t. August please! You don’t have to do this.”

 

He paused for a moment, glancing behind him as he looked towards Finch. He carefully lifted his gun and aimed it at Finch but Finch was on him and fired at August. He fell to the ground and LB ran after Finch, trying to beat him up. Fiona took aim towards him but LB got in the way and she shocked them instead. Finch laughed and kept firing as he ran towards the caravan. Fiona saw an oxygen tank and shot at it, causing it to follow and knocked out Finch. She saw Sasha next to August and began dragging him towards the caravan.

 

“Come on. You’ll be okay.”

 

August was bleeding from his chest and was having trouble breathing. Fiona went to help when Kroger began firing at her. She ducked behind a crate and tried to fire back when she saw the caravan door close and began to take off.

 

“No no no! SASHA! GET BACK HERE!”

 

She tried to throw her hat at the caravan but it immediately flopped back to the ground. She watched as the caravan took off and left her abandon on the station.

 

 

 

 

Yvette opened the control door and Rhys limped and leaned against the railing. She entered in a code and sighed,

 

“Systems blocked.”

 

Rhys smirked and cracked his knuckles, “My turn.”

 

He hacked into the system, opening up the main controls but immediately got shocked and pushed back. Jack’s voice came on,

 

“Really? Thought you could just hack into the system when I AM the system?” Jack chuckled, “Nice try Rhysie. But it’s over.”

 

Rhys looked over at the main system's engine and closed his eyes,

 

“No Jack. Not yet.”

 

Rhys stepped back and ran out onto the engine. Yvette gasped and leaned over the rail,

 

“RHYS?! Are you crazy?!”

 

He held onto the engine as best as he could as he slowly crawled down.

 

“If I can’t stop you through the system. I’ll do it manually.”

 

Rhys whipped out his stun baton and jammed it into the first electrical cylinder.

 

Jack sighed, “Great. Gonna’ try to kill me with electricity? Rhys, the whole goddamn system RUNS on electricity you dumbass.”

 

Rhys crawled down to the next one and jammed it. He ignored Jack and moved right to the next one. As he pulled back, a gate came down and blocked Rhys’ baton.

 

“HA! TRY IT NOW RHYSIE!”

 

Rhys smirked and poked the baton through one of the holes, however, as it jammed, it got stuck.

 

_Shit._

A red alarm started shining and a loud voice blared, “VENTS OPENING IN TEN. NINE.”

 

Yvette panicked, “RHYS!?”

 

He looked around and tried to climb down to the last cylinder, “HOLD ONTO SOMETHING!”

 

Yvette grabbed the rail as the computer voice blared, “FOUR. THREE. TWO. ONE.”

 

The vent opened and began sucking everything within the area, out. Yvette tried to hold onto the rail but it broke and sent her flying down. Rhys reached out and grabbed Yvette but he was too weak to hold on and she fell to his leg.

 

“RHYS!!! OH GOD.”

 

Rhys switched hands and held on with his flesh one. He held his mechanical hand to Yvette,

 

“HANG ON.”

 

She grabbed it as he swung back and forth and threw her up to the section across from him. She almost slipped but held on as she climbed back up.

 

“Thank you, Rhys.”

 

He almost fell as he switched arms again and faced the last blocked cylinder. He punched it with his mechanical arm until it was dented enough for him to tear off. He waited for a moment, took a breath and punched the cylinder with his arm, shocking himself and the system.

 

“Systems offline. Manual shutdown activated.”

 

As the vent closed again, Rhys saw the caravan in the distance.

 

“No. NO NO! FIONA YOU CAN’T LEAVE ME HERE!”

 

He felt his body tremble and he began slipping but Yvette was at his side and held him tight.

 

“I got you!”

 

He grabbed her arm and they slowly climbed back up. Once they reached the platform, the entire station stuttered and shifted. He noticed everything going sideways and thought he was about to pass out when he noticed Yvette going with him,

 

“Uh Rhys? What did you do?”

 

Rhys nervously chuckled, “I uh. Shut down the system.”

 

“The ENTIRE system?”

 

The station started creaking as Rhys fell to the floor. Yvette picked him up,

 

“Better get moving.”

 

She started dragging him further but he felt his entire system become spotty.

 

“Yvette. Please. Stop.”

 

Yvette noticed his eyes droop and immediately leaned him against a wall where he collapsed onto his butt. She kneeled next to him and he barely could keep his eyes open,

 

“You gotta go. Grab one of the escape pods.”

 

“Pfft and what? Leave you here?”

 

“I can’t-I can’t do this. I just need to rest.”

 

“You can get rest once we get off this damn station.”

 

Rhys let out a weak laugh, “That’ll never happen.”

 

Yvette grabbed Rhys’ hand and squeezed, “Sorry Rhys. But if I have to carry you out of here, I will.”

 

Rhys smirked and closed his eyes briefly, “I’d like to see that.”

 

 

 

 

Fiona followed LB through crowds of Hyperion workers. They ran down a hall as more and more escape pods disbursed. LB pushed someone down and opened the door for Fiona. She smirked and climbed in. Before LB pushed the button, they paused and stared at Fiona,

 

“FIND GORTYS. KEEP THEM SAFE.”

 

Fiona nodded, “I promise. Now go find Rhys.”

 

LB nodded,

 

"I WILL. I PROMISE."

PB closed the pod. They pushed the button, waved at Fiona briefly before running off to find Rhys. They counted the pods and realized only a few were left. Having no signal on Rhys, LB ran around aimlessly until they heard Jack’s voice coming from one of the far hallways. A turret was firing at Rhys and Yvette.

 

“I AM COMING FATHER.”

 

LB ran towards Rhys and Yvette, dodging the turret and sliding into the hall with them. Rhys had a cut on his cheek and Yvette was out of breath.

 

“Wow. Uh, Rhys?”

 

Rhys opened his eyes and smirked at LB, “Don’t worry. LB is cool.”

 

LB looked up, “HI.”

 

Yvette nervously nodded, “Hi.”

 

Rhys patted LB and coughed, bringing some blood to his lips,

 

“Listen. LB. Get Yvette to one of the pods. I can’t-”

 

“Ignore Rhys and get his ass to one of the pods.”

 

LB looked between the both of them, “THERE ARE FEW LEFT. ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF YOU.”

 

Jack laughed, “Nah buddy bot. There aren’t enough. You think we’d build enough for everyone on this station? HA. Not a chance in hell.”

 

The turret continued to fire in their direction. LB tapped Rhys and pointed,

 

“THERE.”

 

One pod was near by, empty and ready for take off. Rhys lightly pushed Yvette,

 

“Go. Before it’s too late.”

 

Yvette froze but LB readied her,

 

“ON THREE.”

 

“Rhys, please.”

 

He smiled and nodded his head, “Thank you.”

 

She grabbed him in a hug as LB counted down. She ran with them on three, hopped into the pod and blasted off towards Pandora. Another voice merged from around the corner,

 

“Awe hell no.”

 

_Finch._

Rhys swallowed and closed his eyes. He felt a slight tugging as LB returned and pointed the other direction.

 

“LAST CHANCE.”

 

Rhys coughed and pushed LB away,

 

“I-I can’t.”

 

LB didn’t hesitate, “I PROMISED.”

 

Rhys glanced at LB, “Wha-”

 

“You two are dead!”

 

Finch started firing in their direction. Whenever the turret wasn’t firing at Rhys, he was.

 

LB tugged at Rhys again, “LET US GO.”

 

Rhys shook his head, “I can’t even stand. Please, just go LB. Save yourself.”

 

LB looked towards Finch and back at Rhys, “YOU HAVE TOO MUCH TO LIVE FOR.”

 

LB roughly grabbed Rhys, pulled him up to his feet and practically dragged him to the last escape pod, knocking the turrets out of the way and blocking any bullets. The pod was slightly damaged which only made Rhys feel worse. LB was forcing Rhys in but Rhys was confused, not fully in his own mind,

 

“There isn’t enough room for us both!”

 

LB froze for a moment but forced Rhys into the pod, “YOU GO. I STAY.”

 

“NO. NO!!! LB, COME ON!”

 

LB forced the door closed, pushed the button and sent Rhys back towards Pandora. Rhys banged against the glass tirelessly, yelling for LB and watched helplessly as Finch shot and damaged his friend. He began breathing heavily as he felt his broken ribs taking a toll. He grabbed on his stomach and curled in on himself. The exhaustion and pain hit him hard as he closed his eyes, seeing the flaming colours of the destroyed station reflect on his eyelids as he fell into darkness.

 

 

 

"ALERT. POD HEAVILY DAMAGED. POD HEAVILY DAMAGED."

Rhys woke, startled and breathed in deeply, coughing at the surrounding smoke. He groaned as his vision and brain were unsteady and he couldn't focus. He carefully brought himself into a sitting position and looked at his surroundings. He was no longer in space as he could see smoke settling around the area. He tried to open the Pod but nothing was responding. He punched at it with his hand and immediately regretted it. Forgetting about his mechanical one, he smirked and punched the glass again, gaining thicker air to spill in and allowed him to jump out. Unsteadily, Rhys fell to the ground and found it hard to stand. Part of him was crawling until he found what looked like a piece of wall. He used it to steady himself and catch his breath. He looked around but only saw debris and the newly ruined wasteland of Helios. 

"SASHA?! FIONA? ANYONE?"

He coughed and wiped blood from his mouth. Wherever they were, they were nowhere near Rhys. If anything, they had flown far from him. He tried to turn his ECHO network on but found it still rebooting. There was a loud feedback noise and crackling coming from the other side of the wreckage.

 

"God-d. Every-thing ruined - everything."

 

_Jack._

 

Rhys sighed and found himself going towards the one man he worked so hard to escape. Part of Rhys wanted to rub the dirt right in Jack's face, show him that he took him down but another part felt guilty. This was it for Jack. Rhys found himself limping and crawling through tight spaces as he maneuvered around the debris. With the debris and world falling around Rhys, he stumbled as he found himself within what looked like a broken down office. He limped up a platform and found himself staring at the face of Jack, on a giant wall display.

 

"Hey Rhysie."

 

Jack's voice wasn't stable and Rhys knew it was because all the systems were heavily broken. Rhys grinded his teeth and kept himself standing,

 

"Jack. I'm-"

 

Jack laughed, "Oh don't give me that shhit Rhys. I gave you a chance, and you tore it all apart. You're worse than me, kiddo. Look around you. How many people do you think were on this station? A couple hundred? A couple hundred thousand?"

 

Rhys felt his skin grow cold with sweat. He looked around and saw everything in a different and darker light. Jack was right. Rhys had killed and did it all to take down the company, to end the madness with Jack and to save his friends.

 

"I did it to stop you."

 

Jack chuckled to himself, "Sure. Keep telling yourself that. Whatever gets you to sleep at night."

 

Rhys felt his body giving out and limped over to what was left of Jack's desk. He sat against it and stared at Jack.

 

"I _had_ to stop you. There was no other way."

 

Jack frowned, "Stop me from what Rhys? Taking back what was mine? FROM CLEANING THE GODDAMN WORLD OF BANDITS?!"

 

"That's exactly it Jack. I don't want any more KILLING in general."

 

Jack laughed, "Looks like you're off to a GREAT start, kitten. Nah Rhys. This is all on you. No one's innocent. Not even you. You did this all to save your own ass."

 

Rhys swallowed and avoided the man's eyes. The more Jack mentioned it, the more guilt set in within Rhys' system. They had been forced back to Helios to do one thing and one thing only. All they needed was the Gortys piece but Jack had other ideas set for them. Jack always got his way and after everything, it turned into a disaster. Every single plan Rhys had ever been involved with turned out for the worst and completely changed without his control. This was all Rhys' fault and he knew if it weren't for him, everyone would be in their homes, safe and back to normal. What even was normal? The world had alien vaults, a suicidal AI of Jack and a never ending fight for power. And what did Rhys have to show for all of this? His damaged mind? His broken friendships or relationships? Were they even safe? After all of this, was Vaughn still being held hostage?

 

Jack sighed loudly and brought Rhys back to the moment,

"You know, we could've been an amazing team. You. Me. All of Hyperion and control over idiots on Pandora. You dreamt of this all Rhysie. Why let it burn to the ground like this?"

 

Rhys took a hard breath, "It just wasn't what I thought it would be."

 

Jack smirked and hummed, "Yeah. It's exhilarating getting what you want. Then you realize how much terrible bullshit you put yourself and others through just to get a lousy job. Man, the world we live in. I just wanted to do some good and what do I get? Shot in the back, punched, beaten down and tore apart for all I'm worth. I lost everything Rhys. My friends, trust, my wife and hell, even my own goddamn daughter."

 

Rhys felt his sides begin to hurt and found himself completely ontop of the desk. He rubbed his eyes as Jack's lighted figure flickered,

 

"Don't you see a pattern Jack?"

 

"What? That bad shit happens to good people?"

 

Rhys shook his head, "That power corrupts. Makes you more vulnerable."

 

Jack chuckled, "Makes you build a thicker skin. And the more vulnerable you become, the more dangerous you are."

 

Rhys avoided his eyes for a moment before looking back up and carefully standing.

 

_This is it._

 

"You had your moments Jack. Really. You used what you were good at, put it up an extra asshole level and made it your own. You were an amazing leader but you stepped over too many people and burned too many bridges. You had a family Jack. And you let that all slip away because what, vaults appeared and you were power hungry?"

 

"Shut up."

 

"No. I'm sorry Jack but look around you. This is what all that work led to."

 

"No thanks to you."

 

"Don't give me that bull. I know what I did wrong and I wish there was another way but there wasn't. It just happened like everything else in my goddamn life."

 

His voice echoed into the area as he felt the ground lightly vibrate. Rhys looked up to Jack one last time,

 

"I'm sorry Jack. About everything. But it's time to move forward. And that does not include you."

 

Jack had a sparkle in his eye as he whispered, "Oh. we'll see about that."

 

Rhys pushed himself off the desk as he began making his way through the debris. Something light rubbed against his head and it was too late for Rhys to react to realize what it was. Rhys' port was plugged in and everything within his mind and body screamed. Rhys was pretty sure he was screaming but everything went quiet as his body violently fell to the ground, hitting his head off the platform. Everything went dark for Rhys as Jack began to awaken into the light. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goin all 2000s here.
> 
> "HOOOLLLDDD ON IF YOU FEEL LIKE LETTING GOOOO. HOOOLLLDDD ON IT GETS BETTER THAN YOU KNOOOWWW."
> 
>  
> 
> Rhys. Funny story. Originally, this is where the fic was going to end. I had a whole other story plot where Rhys ends up bleeding out in the escape pod and it ends here. Sasha and Fiona would move on with their lives while Jack and Rhys both died. Everything goes back to normal and thats that. However, plot points and structure didn't work out the greatest with that ending and I've still got a chunk of chapters left. 
> 
> I might do a seperate story of JUST where Rhys dies. It'll be all of one long chapter/one scene. WHO KNOWS. If I have time after I finish this, we'll see.
> 
> The fic is slowly but surely coming to a close.... SOOOONNNN. Not that soon...but soon haha. 
> 
> Also, just to put it out there, I did not expect anyone to read this, let alone a hand full of you commenting :3 I seriously appreciate it and I'm happy you keep coming back for more.. of my terrible work. 
> 
> THANK YOU AND enjoy?


	24. Only a Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With full control over Rhys, Jack rebuilds and begins where he left off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SMUT INCOMING! and some abuse!
> 
> hahaha it's not as ... detailed or worth anything.
> 
> But it's there.
> 
> Enjoy?
> 
> But also some real intense Jack moments too. And I apologize for how the pace of this one goes. It just fell this way.

A spark. Heavy hit. Breathing. As if waking up from suffocation, Rhys breathed in and coughed the new in take of air. He rolled over and laid flat on his back, opening his eyes, or eye, as the ECHO eye was rebooting. He shifted his head left and right, smiling as he brought up his heavy arms.

 

"I… can't believe it worked."

 

 ~~Rhys~~  Jack carefully sat up and felt his excitement almost bringing him tears. But he knew he wasn't completely stable. Feeling tension and stiffness in _his_ body, Jack took all the time he needed to sit up and carefully balanced himself as he stood but immediately crashed back down. He laughed to himself,

 

"Still gettin used to this. Man. Like a goddamn giraffe."

 

He crawled for a moment until he found a pile of debris to pull himself up. He laughed at feeling everything. His legs were wobbling but he continued to be stunned. Jack looked around and chuckled,

 

"To think this was all it took. Pfft. And now we start over."

 

_What's happening? Jack?_

 

Jack chuckled and looked around,

 

"You happened, Rhysie. And now, I'm happening."

 

Rhys shuddered and tried to take control but couldn't. He started panicking in his - Jack's head,

 

_How? How is this..._

 

"I've got a few tricks up my sleeve. Been in your head long enough to program a few more back up plans. Just in case, oh I don't know, you decided to stab me in the back. And oh look at this! You did."

 

As if reaching treasure, Jack picked up a frame, wiped it clean and smiled at his reflection as he held the deed to Atlas. He smiled widely,

 

"And no thanks to you, I gotta start over. Gonna use your looks for more uses then one."

 

Rhys was raging in his head, screaming for Jack but Jack continued to smile, "Accept your consequences buddy. It's my turn."

 

_Please. Stop._

 

"No one tells me what to do."

 

Jack put the deed in his arm and limped his way to the closest catch-a-ride. It took him all morning until he finally reached one. He placed his hand on the screen and surprisingly, it was still functioning. Scooters voice startled him when he realized it was just the regular program activating. He sighed and gave a small salute to Scooter while chuckling,

 

"One less bandit to kill."

 

_Ass._

 

He picked up a racer, hoped in, stumbling into the seat as best as he could and set a destination for Atlas.

 

"We're gonna rule the world Rhysie. Whether you like it. Or not. Spoilers. You won't."

 

 

 

 

The wind howled as everything pulled forward and with a bright blast, Gortys was gone. Small bits of debris glistened and fell to the ground as the vault monster gave one last roar and disappeared. The silence signaled Fiona's heart to relax as the plan worked. She didn't want to kill Gortys but it was the only way to stop getting killed by the giant. Fiona and Sasha dropped the rocket launcher and looked around. By the way Sasha stared at her, she knew she could see the struggle on her face. 

 

"I'm sorry Fi."

 

Quiet crying came from August which caused Sasha to run to his side,

 

"August? I'm so so sorry."

 

Fiona looked over and noticed August sitting against the caravan, crying into his hands. She had watched Vallory die and part of her was happy about that. Not only had she tried to stop the woman from ending the madness around them, she took advantage of the situation and let Kroger suffer with them. He was still wheezing but his breathing was becoming sparse and he would soon be out of gas. Fiona sighed, breathing in the burnt air and made her way to the caravan. Sasha was holding August in her arms, shushing him. Fearing something else could sneak up on them, Fiona wasted no time and grabbed August with Sasha and dragged him inside. Sasha did her best to patch August up but the bullet was still lodged in his shoulder. WIth Fiona driving and it being too bumpy to pull it out, the bullet would have to wait. August winced with every bump they ran over as Fiona bolted around the debris from the station. August noticed the determination in her eyes and tried to stand but Sasha held him down,

 

"Stop."

 

He looked over and nodded his head, "What's she doin'?"

 

"We're finding Rhys."

 

No matter where they drove, there was no sign of Rhys. Only the wreckage, bodies and and blood remained. She tried Echoing him but nothing was getting through. There wasn't even a sign of Vaughn anywhere. Vallory had kept him hostage but where she kept him they had no idea. Ever since his last stunt, Vallory had not trusted August with knowing the location of their hostages. They tried tracing their steps and following small leads but nothing, and with more movement, the less time it gave them to get August fully patched. At the end of the night, they gave up and packed in. Sasha's heart dropped as they pulled into the medical building. Dr. Zed waved them in and was doing a round tour of all of his hospital stations and they just happened to catch him. While they waited for August to be patched, Fiona took Sasha outside where she immediately began pacing,

 

"Where do you think he is? Do you think he's looking for us? Maybe he just got lost. He's not Pandora smart, right?"

 

Fiona stared at Sasha and swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat, "Sasha, he's not _that_ dumb, but this isn't him. He would've been with us already if-"

 

"If what? Don't you dare Fi. He's alive. He has to be."

 

Sasha's face dropped as the thought entered her mind. August stumbled out, causing their minds to shift gears. He looked pale and grimly smirked.

 

"Guess we keep moving."

 

Fiona sighed and rubbed her eyes, "No. We're in no condition for that. We need rest. All of us."

 

Sasha's jaw went wide, "But Fi what-"

 

"If he is, he'll find us. He always finds a way of stumbling back into our lives."

 

August realized who they were talking about and sighed, feeling his shoulders slouch. Fiona rolled her eyes and steadied Sasha by placing both her hands on her sister's shoulders,

 

"Trust me. He's probably just passed out somewhere. He tends to do that."

 

Sasha smirked and gave a small chuckle, "Yeah. Always bangin' his head."

 

August cleared his throat, "Hate to cut you ladies off but could we seriously head back to the caravan? I'm not feelin' too hot."

 

They took no time grabbing August and headed straight for the caravan where sleep only came to them just as everything else awoke.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The needle came slamming down. Jack bit his hand to muffle the scream,

 

"AHHGG. God dammit."

 

Mia, now one of Atlas' only employees, was injecting insta-healths into Jack, healing his body completely. Jack sighed as Mia panicked,

 

"I swear, this is the last one!"

 

"You said that five needles ago. I-."

 

"DONE. We're done. See?"

 

Jack opened his eyes and examined his body. Carefully, he hopped off the desk and waddled in spot, checking himself out and smirking,

 

"Nice job, Babe."

 

Mia hesitated before she nodded and cleaned up the medical supplies.

 

"Is there anything else I can do...sir?"

 

_FOR FUCK SAKES HELP ME! AHHHHHHHHHH-_

 

Jack stared at her for a second and shook his head,

 

"Sorry. Annoying voice is bitching. Uh. Nah. You've done great. What'd you say your name was again?"

 

"M-mia. Sir."

 

"Enough with the sir. Names Ja-"

 

Jack froze for a moment and forgot whose body he was in. He smirked and shrugged,

 

"Names Jack. Handsome Jack."

 

Mia looked dumbstruck, "Uh. Excuse me?"

 

He laughed, "It's a LONG ass story. I'll tell you another time sweet cheeks."

 

He winked and slapped her butt, causing Mia to yelp and blush. Jack strode around the office and began rubbing his hands,

 

"Well. Guess it's time we reopen business."

 

Mia was stunned, "Uh. Sir?"

 

"Ah ta ta. What'd I just say?"

 

"Right. Sorry. J-Jack. How exactly are we doing that if... No one at Atlas is alive? Literally no workers."

 

Jack smirked and darkly chuckled, "We do what all companies do. We blackmail and force people to work for us. For their safety of course."

 

Mia smirked and nodded, "Well. Lead the way, Jack."

 

 

 

 

 

4 months later.

 

A banner hung outside the Atlas facility, "Re-Grand Opening" but the building was not lite up or shining new. It was an older facility that was soon to become one of the busiest businesses on Pandora. Tomorrow marked the opening but the night was young and Jack and Mia were preparing for the opening night party. Mia kept picking at clothing choices for Jack as he kept grabbing sizes too big for him. Being inside a new body meant a whole new range of outfits. Finally, they decided on a slick black suit with diamond studded boots, while Mia wore an Atlas red dress that hugged her every curve. She held up one red bow tie, undone and a regular blood red tie. Jack was shifting his eyes between both until pointing at the tie.

 

"Rhys' body works nice with ties."

 

Mia groaned, "Come on! You are passing down a bowtie? You are presenting yourself to the public and nothing screams handsome more then a bowtie."

 

Jack rolled his eyes and grabbed the bowtie, carefully tying it, examining and making sure it was straight. He did one final turn for Mia until she smirked,

 

"Handsome Jack. Holds true."

 

Rhys groaned,  _Kill me please._

 

Jack chuckled and rubbed his hands together, putting out his arm for Mia, "Well then? Shall we?"

 

She grabbed his arm and nodded. They walked out of the bedroom and down the hall of the facility. The closer they got to the hall, the louder the music became. There was a jazz band performing a song from Jack's time, which had him in smiles and began walking to the rhythm. As they approached the doors, two of the guards opened the doors for them and as they walked in the crowd of workers, attendees and other business owners cheered. Mia waved and Jack bowed lightly. A few people started cheering and yelling for Rhys to make a speech but Jack shouted back,

 

"Let the band finish!"

 

The singer nodded his head and continued as Jack brought Mia to the closest table and sat her down, gently placing a kiss on her cheek. He winked at her and strode to the side stage, waiting and humming along as the band wrapped up the song. Applause from around the room echoed as the singer bowed and held the mic,

 

"And now please welcome to the stage the one, the Handsome, Rhys!"

 

Cheers all around came as people stood and welcomed Jack to the stage. He waved around and was beaming his devilish smile. He grabbed the mic and shushed,

 

"Okay okay. Sit down yeah bastards. My turn. Thank you all for attending. Tonight's one to celebrate. Four months ago, Atlas was a wasteland. Bandits of every kind killed off our old members. We continue to mourn our fallen but we do not sit and wait for time to pass. No. We grab what's left and we use it. We move. Today, Atlas stands new. New Atlas. That name will echo across this planet and I promise you all, we will prove to those Hyperion asshats how wrong they were. A toast to all of you for joining the team, for those sponsors that are here to give money and hopefully for more new members to join. Drink away everyone. Tomorrow we begin a new. But for now, LET'S CELEBRATE AND GET FUCKED UP!" 

 

Everyone cheered and applauded Jack as he lifted up a bottle of champagne, opened it and drank directly from the bottle. The band began to play music as Jack jumped down from the stage and handed Mia the bottle,

 

"To my lovely assistant. Cheers."

 

She shook her head and smirked up, grabbing the bottle and taking a small sip of the champagne, "You know I don't celebrate like you do Ja-"

 

He grabbed her arm tightly and gained a yelp from her, "What did I say about using that in public? Be careful where your tongue goes or it might get chopped off."

 

Mia frowned and pulled her arm away from Jack. He smirked and grabbed the bottle again, chugging back more. A tap on his shoulder caused him to groan but he turned around to see three gentlemen waiting for him. The one with a monocle spoke up first. 

 

"Rhys? My names Marshall. This is Mr. Torgue and Marcus. We'd love to talk business with you if...we're not interrupting anything."

 

Rhys laughed,  _By all means, interrupt this monster._

 

Jack grinded his teeth and smiled wide,

 

"Hello ladies. Listen Babe. I'll be back. Keep my seat warm and save me a dance or two."

 

He gave her a quick kiss that she had no time to react to before he was gone with the others and Mia was left abandon at the table. She sighed and pulled out her small tablet that had a bit of Atlas schedules that she decided to push back two days. She spoke out loud,

 

"If he's getting wasted, might as well prep for the outcome."

 

 

Rhys was stuck in Jack's head. He hated admitting it was Jack's head and not his own but the more months that had passed, the more he didn't feel like himself. Everything he tried didn't affect Jack but Jack was finding more and more ways to damage Rhys. Rhys still wasn't sure how to sit in the back of his mind like Jack had, but one moment Jack would be asleep and the next he'd be in the middle of a meeting and find himself and Jack jumping up. Moments like that kept Rhys going. One moment, just one little screw up or loss of focus could allow Rhys to get through and finally regain control.

 

_Please make it soon._

 

Jack barely heard the words as Mr. Torgue continued to play an electric guitar. He yawned and clapped at Torgue's performance but checked the time and realized he had wasted three hours with these men. His eyes went wide as he stood and interrupted the conversation flow,

 

"Listen, we can make arrangements another time. I wanna' spend the rest of the night celebrating, not working. Ciao!" 

 

Jack waved and nearly ran at Mia, who was laughing with another person. As soon as they saw Jack approach, they turned pale and ran off. Mia sighed and looked towards Jack.

 

"Yes, Rhys?"

 

Rhys hesitated for a moment but realized she was following the rules again.  _Get out, Mia. RUN!_

  

"Still haven't gotten my dance. Shall we?"

 

Mia brightened up and immediately changed tone, "I was waiting all night."

 

He grabbed her in his arms as they swayed to the slow swimming music. Jack quietly hummed along until a sigh escaped. Mia noticed and pushed herself to keep her eyes on Jack,

 

"What's wrong?"

 

Jack looked around and nudged his head for Mia to get his meaning, "Who knew a party could be so boring."

 

Mia giggled, "How is it boring?"

 

"Men in suits all comparing sales. Maaannn I just wanna kill that asshole Jerry? Was it? The douchebag from Eden 6. Tried to establish Atlas as a partner. Pffftt. Succhh a scumbag."

 

Mia sighed, "Don't you think it'd be smart to join?"

 

"HA! Yeah, sure. I don't join. There's no joining. I do business my way."

 

Mia paused, "Think rationally Jac-"

 

Jack froze, "At Ta Ta. What did I say about that tongue? Do I need to pull it out? It's RHYS around public."

 

Rhys huffed, _asshole._

 

Jack smirked and noticed Mia look down. He sighed and pulled her closer. He spoke loud enough only for Mia to hear,

 

"You know, I'm done with business for today. How about we go somewhere you can say my name alll you want. Eh?"

 

Instantly, Mia was red and she felt chills fall down her skin as Jack winked and lightly grinded himself against her. She nearly lost control and grabbed Jack by the collar, dragging him off the dance floor and back towards his room.

 

 

 

 

"FUCK. Oh my God."

 

Jack held Mia down on the bed as he bit into her neck. He continued to pump faster and harder into her, pouring out moans with each thrust. Chills ran down his back when he noticed her eyes nearly roll back in pleasure. He barely slowed down to catch his breath when Mia wrapped her legs around him and begged,

 

“Jack, pleasssseee. Harder. Fuccckkk.”

 

Jack hummed and kissed her hard, slowly pulling himself all the way out and slamming himself back in, gaining a moan from the both of them. Mia nearly came undone but she held on.

 

Rhys tried to close his eyes and felt embarrassment well up but no matter how hard he tried, he was stuck in the situation.

 

_Finish already._

Jack repeated the same movement a few more times until he fully exited Mia. She felt the emptiness and began whining.

 

“Jaaaccckkkk.”

 

“Shhh. Turn over.”

 

He helped Mia roll over and pushed her head down into the bed. He barely gave her time to adjust as he entered her from behind fast, hard and with a loud groan,

 

“Miiaaa. Damn, you are tight.”

 

She hummed along and tried to catch her breath but could barely keep up with the pressure. Jack pumped hard in and out of her until his balls began slapping against her bottom. The sound echoed into the room and made Mia buck underneath him,

 

“I’m _sooooooo_ close J-JJaaaack.”

 

“That’s right babe. Oh fuck. Be good and wait up for Jackie.”

 

_Fuck you._

Jack smirked and only grew harder from Rhys’ objection. Mia screamed, as she got closer,

 

“Fuck me. FUCK ME! JACK. OH GOD. I’m gonna-”

 

Jack grabbed her hair and pulled her head back,

 

“Scream. Scream my fuckin’ name!”

 

“JAAAAACCCCKKK. ARRRGG. FUCK ME JACK. FFUUUCCCKKK. JA-”

 

With that, Mia came undone under Jack. He continued to hammer into her, panting and grabbed the railings as he felt his orgasm hit in his chest.

 

“Mmmmmiaaa. FFFuucckk. Ahhhh. Holy shit.”

 

She helped ride out his orgasm until his dick twitched one last time. He grabbed her back and kissed gently, earning small hums in return. They were spent, lost and completely undone. Carefully, Jack pulled out of Mia and collapsed beside her. She lazily turned and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close to gain little pecks before passing out. Jack felt the lightness in his body subside but he made no effort to clean. Before he knew it, his eyes were shut and he was lost in the heat of the room.

 

 

 

 

“S-top. Stay back.”

 

Mia jumped at the sound and awoke to Jack moving around in bed but his eyes were closed tightly and his body looked soaked with sweat.

 

“Jack?”

 

Mia sat up as Jack continued to rock in place,

 

“You’ll fuckin’ r-regret this.”

 

Mia felt herself grow cold as she carefully placed her hand on his shoulder, gently shaking it,

 

“Jack, please. Wake up.”

 

His eyes flew open as he grabbed Mia by the throat and began squeezing tightly. The air was knocked out of her and she scratched at his arms, pleading as best as she could for him to stop. Something sparked in Jack that caused him to smirk and released Mia, sending her thumping back into the bed and coughing, breathing hard.

 

“WHAT-t-the FUCK, JACK?!”

 

He still had his mechanical hand in the air and slowly brought it back down, opening and closing it in front of his eyes,

 

_ARRGGG. GIVE ME BACK MY BODY YOU ASSHOLE!_

Jack chuckled and put his arm down, “Nice try buddy.”

 

Mia heard and sat back up, still coughing, “Buddy? Are you kidding me Jack?”

 

He frowned and grinded his teeth, “What? Rhys didn’t enjoy the show we put on and wanted a little revenge.”

 

Mia went red and got out of the bed, “You’re saying this was Rhys?”

 

Jack shrugged but didn’t deny it, “Was me trying to kill Rhys. Didn’t mean anything to you babe.”

 

Mia didn’t even let him finish as she stumbled out of bed and began putting her clothes back on. Jack noticed,

 

“Hey wait wait. Calm down. I got control back, see? Still good ol’ m-”

 

“No, Jack. This-this is next level screwed up.”

 

She barely got her dress back on as Jack stood by her, grabbing her arm,

 

“I can fix this. It’s just gonna’ take some more time. Can’t just up and leave Rhysie behind again, can I? Look what happened last time!”

 

She shoved Jack off, “I don’t care about last time. If this is going to keep happening, you can consider whatever this is, done.”

 

She grabbed her shoes and headed to the door, flipping Jack off along the way,

 

“Go fuck yourself, Jack.”

 

He chuckled to himself as he pulled the side drawer opened, pulling out his weapon and clicked the gun,

 

“Language.”

 

Mia and Rhys didn’t have time to react as Jack pulled the trigger and sent a bullet straight through the back of Mia’s brain and out her left eye. Her body turned towards him and made a thud as she fell to the ground. Jack sighed and scratched his cheek,

 

“Look what you did Rhysie. Made quite the mess.”

 

_YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE! LET ME GO! I FUCKING HATE THIS._

Jack chuckled as he put a fresh pair of boxers on, walked around Mia’s body and entered into his new office. He hit the button on his desk COMM.

 

“Hey cleaning bots. I need a clean up in my bedroom. Pronto.”

 

A few long beeps later and a couple of bots came humming in, making loud noises as they discovered what the clean up was.

 

_You didn't have to do that Jack._

 

"Yeah no. See that's where you're wrong. She knows Rhysie. Can't have her tellin' others."

 

Jack sat at his desk and began shuffling through work noticing that a bunch of the files had been invitations from the other companies. He chuckled, ripped up each one and threw it to the ground. From the corner of his eye, he saw the bots getting rid of Mia’s body. Jack sighed at the sight and sat back in his chair, crossing his arms,

 

“You know, this could have ended in a less dramatic more cheating way than this. You feel good about yourself Rhysie? This was all you muffin.”

 

Rhys was stunned and was quiet for a moment, _How was this my fault?_

Jack smirked, “Was a nice little trick you tried to pull there, buddy but your own goddamn brain is your worst enemy. How stupid can you be?”

 

Jack laughed when Rhys didn’t respond. Instead, they were interrupted by a worker rushing in with an ECHO and nearly tripped as Jack’s stare stopped him mid run.

 

“Mr. Rhys sir-”

 

Jack rolled his eyes and pointed his gun at the man, “This better be-”

 

“A vault sir!”

 

Jack’s eyes went wide and he lowered the gun, “Say that again.”

 

The man gulped and tried to push out the story as quickly as he could,

 

“You s-said if we got any sign of vaults to report directly to you. Sir, I think-I found something. A new reading appeared. It’s a vault sir!”

 

Jack’s smile went wide as he put the gun down, but it didn’t budge from his hand as he waved the man closer. He smirked and ran up, putting the ECHO down on the desk,

 

“The signal and reading started out weak at first but all of a sudden, it blew up, loud and clear.”

 

Jack grabbed the Echo and stared at the glowing yellow arrow,

 

“Yeah yeah. Okay. Are you POSITIVE this is a vault?”

 

The man nodded, “On my life sir. The readings are bouncing off the walls. Nothing like a vault that can produce readings this powerful.”

 

Jack smiled towards the man, stood and wrapped his arm around the mans shoulders,

 

“What’s your name kid?”

 

The man stuttered, “J-Jordan sir.”

 

“Gorman? Great. Listen, I’m proud you found this and did _exactly_ as instructed, right?”

 

Jordan nodded,

 

“Oh yes sir! As soon as I found the signal, I came running. And get this, the vault MOVES! Isn’t that crazy?”

 

Jack nearly broke his smile, “That sure is nuts. Listen, Gorman? Any chance at all you may have let this slip or even had ANYONE else glance at it?”

 

Jordan shook his head and proudly pumped out his chest, “Not a soul but me knows.”

 

Rhys saw it in Jack’s mind, _No._

Jack patted Jordan's back and took his arm away, “No one at all? Just you and me?

 

The man smiled, “Yes sir!”

 

“Great to hear.”

 

With a swift move, Jack pulled his gun on the man and shot him point blank in the chest,

 

“Now only I know.”

 

Jack held the ECHO out as he used Rhys’ ECHO and downloaded the information before firing at it and destroying it. The information swirled around in his head as he stumbled to get dressed and ran to his desk to grab more bullets. He called his assistant on the COMM,

 

“Hey Mia, got new plans-”

 

He almost forgot that he had killed her only moments ago. He sighed and pressed another button,

 

“This is Jewel.”

 

Jack snorted, “Who the heck names their kid JEWEL? HA. Anyways, I gotta’ head out. I’m appointing you as my new assistant.”

 

Jewel went quiet on the other line, “Hello? I said you’re my new assistant, got that?”

 

Jewel nodded as if Jack could see and immediately stuttered, “Yes sir. Uh. What happened to Mi-”

 

“She’s not available. Listen, I’m headed out. Cancel all of my appointments for the next couple of weeks. Won’t be back for a while. Kisses.”

 

Jack was out of the door before Jewel had a chance to reply.

 

 

 

 

“Come on you sonofabitch. Show up.”

 

Jack was racing through the Pandoran desert as he followed the last known signal of the vault. All of a sudden, it jumped and relocated even closer to where he was. He took a sharp turn and ended up crashing the racer. Jack banged his arms against the racer, yelling at it before giving up and jumping out.

 

“On foot it is.”

 

He pulled his gun out and jumped out, landing with a thud. He checked around and noticed the signal was coming from,

 

“Prosperity Junction? You’re kidding.”

 

Jack didn’t argue with it and kept walking until he reached the welcome sign. The signal beeped louder within his head but there was no sign of a vault or let alone a vault monster,

 

“Where the shit-“

 

A subtle crunch came from behind him. He flicked around and readied his gun as a stranger with a big mask held a shot gun towards Jack,

 

“Well. That sonofabitc-”

 

“Look what the skag dragged in.”

 

Rhys sparked up and nearly scream, _FIONA!_

Jack smirked and turned toward the bandit,

 

“What a surprise.”

 

He pulled his gun and tried to fire at Fiona but couldn’t get his fingers to move. Rhys used all of his will and might to hold on,

 

_Not my friend you bastard._

Fiona put her hands up, “Woah. Relax Rhys.”

 

Jack was grinding his teeth, “Yeah, Rhys. Relax.”

 

Fiona overheard, “Wait, Jack?”

Out of nowhere, a hard bash came to the back of his head as the stranger used his shotgun and knocked Jack out. Fiona’s protests rang out,

 

“WHAT THE HELL!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously. Jack as Rhy. WTF.
> 
> haha
> 
> It was fun to write because Jack is Rhys...but he's himself. 
> 
> Yeah this is weird. XD
> 
> Also, again. Apologies if the pacing threw any of you off!


	25. Two Tales

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack wakes up to find himself stuck with a bandit, a stranger wanting to kill them and Rhys barking in his ear. And that's not even the worst part...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I'm sorry this took forever to get out. It's getting to that point and time where the story is basically coming back to the original Tales route! From here on, it'll flow with that story until... a point :P Where this story will come to a close.

Jack woke with a start and ended up falling sideways onto his head. He groaned but wasn't able to move properly. He examined his body and discovered it was bound. On top of that, his mouth was taped. Beside him, identically bound was Fiona. He looked around and saw the stranger staring down at him.

 

"Hmmffffftttt"

 

The stranger huffed and looked towards Fiona, "Think he noticed yet?"

 

Jack stopped moving and felt his heart stop,  _Noticed what?_

 

Fiona huffed, "Rhys?"

 

Jack forced a smirk through the gag. Fiona rolled her eyes,

 

"Guess it's only when he's knocked out."

 

The stranger shrugged and looked towards Jack, who was now red and trying to bite into the gag to speak. Rhys chuckled lightly,

 

_Funny. I thought you'd remember what I said. Or that I even spoke._

 

Jack began to panic and started screaming. Fiona yelled over him,

 

"Oh stop your bitching."

 

Jack raised his eyebrows and wished so hard he could spit at Fiona. Rhys giggled,

 

_Well, she did spit at me, so I guess that's just as good?_

 

The stranger couldn't handle Jack's struggle and gave in. He tore the tape off and Jack took a big breath of fresh Pandoran air,

 

"FINALLY. Took long enough. NOW. What did our good buddy Rhys say, eh?"

 

Fiona looked over at the stranger and he stared back. He looked to Jack and shrugged,

 

"You tell me."

 

Jack held his mouth open and kicked his feet towards Fiona, "Seriously. Tell me."

 

"Oh, mostly how much of a Jackass you are."

 

"Ha ha. Very funny. I want the details, princess."

 

Fiona laughed, "Call me princess again and we'll see who's laughing."

 

The stranger shot up into the air and shut the both of them up,

 

"Now, can we get back to the story?"

 

Fiona sighed and looked towards Jack, "We were just getting to the part where we tried to kill Rhys and Vaughn. Would be nice if Rhys were here to explain how he got out of that one more clearly."

 

_I am here, but Jack's-_

 

"Kind of an asshole."

 

Fiona paused, "Uh, what?"

 

Jack paused, "I...didn't say that."

 

Rhys smirked and felt his body jolt slightly,  _Finally catching up Jack._

 

"Not on my watch, pumpkin."

 

Fiona stared at Jack and realized what was happening. She smirked and wished she could cross her arms. The stranger shifted on their feet and looked towards the further hills,

 

"Actually, we need to keep moving."

 

He helped Fiona up first and then Rhys, where Jack tried to push the stranger but was only further threatened with the shotgun,

 

"Okay! Yeah. I get it. Big guy with a big gun. Probably compensating."

 

The stranger froze for a moment and pulled out a knife, "Don't make me regret this."

 

They unbound Fiona and Rhys and nodded to which direction they needed to walk. Fiona took charge and didn't mind the light traveling but she knew Sasha would be panicking and wondering where she was. She kept the thought in the back of her mind and hoped for the best. Rhys, on the other hand, was concentrating long and hard, waiting patiently for the right moments. Every little twitch and hitch of breathing he could get were steps to throwing Jack off. 

 

 

As they walked, the stranger pestered them about the story. Since Jack kept making stuff up, Fiona took charge and gave as much accurate detail to the story as she could, exaggerating things to make her sound a bit more clever, but even Jack was able to laugh her small white lies off. Once they settled into a little camp, Fiona began trailing while slowly falling into a daze,

 

“I think it’s time we hit the dirt. I’m exhausted.”

 

Jack chuckled, “A little brain work got you tired?”

 

Fiona shrugged, “Actually, I’m just sick of your bullshit.”

 

Rhys laughed, _Nice._

Jack grinded his teeth but put on a wide smile, “I could start again by talking about what it was like getting shoved into the little nerds head. I mean, we’re already there, why not!”

 

_Don’t need a reminder._

 

Jack laughed and paced, “The instant I knew I was in Rhys’ head, I knew exactly what I needed to do. The little code monkey needed me just as much as I needed him. It was a weird experience. I could only see bits and pieces of what was happening and before I knew it, I could see everything. HEAR everything. My mind was overflowing with information I had never seen before and that was all thanks to Rhys’ port and ECHO systems. While I was absorbing all of that information, Rhys’ systems glitched and nearly got us killed but look at that. We made it. The idiots not so worthless after all!”

 

_You forgot to mention I was the one that found the Gortys project in the first place!_

“Yeah, cause you fell through the floor dumb dumb.”

 

The stranger shook their head, “Sorry?”

 

Jack laughed, “Sorry. Rhys keeps interrupting. Where was I? OH YEAH! The Gortys Project. So get this. Hat and Rhysie here stumble onto the damn thing. I pop up telling them what it is and I already KNEW my plan of getting me out and back into the world. Kick started! Because I knew one of the damn pieces was in my office! HA. MAN. Of course I didn’t say anything. I gotta’ admit. Love a nice story.”

 

_You. Lying. Piece. Of. Shit._

The stranger stared towards Jack and took a long pause, “If you knew so much about Gortys, why wait so long to push the project?”

 

Jack shrugged, “Wasn’t planning on dying sweetheart. But I did. So Gortys was next in line, waiting patiently. Of course, Athena made production harder but a little killing never stopped Atlas before.”

 

The stranger stood and wiped his pants, “Can the Gortys project ever be recreated?”

 

Jack smirked, “Hell if I know! I mean, maybe. It took the year I was gone for the pieces of Gortys to be created. Whatever pieces are still around, which, last I heard they were destroyed, are the only ones we got for the time being.”

 

The stranger’s shoulders seemed to slouch slightly at the news but kept their head up,

 

“After you explained the Gortys project to Rhys, what happened?”

 

Jack yawned, “How about I sleep and we continue this tomorrow? Sound good? Great.”

 

Jack rolled onto the hard ground and closed his eyes, hoping to fall asleep right away but found the stranger kicking his stomach in,

 

“I said, what happened?”

 

Jack held his stomach and laughed, “Okay okay. Just so you know, the more you hurt me, the more damaged you make Rhys. Remember that.”

 

The stranger sighed and Jack could feel their eyes rolling on the other side of the mask,

 

“Just get on with the story.”

 

Jack stayed on his back and quickly went over his strategy of how he was going to get Rhys from point A to point turn Rhys into his puppet. Of course, nothing ever went to plan but everything had a weird way of working themselves out. He had led Rhys and the gang into the path of finding Gortys and leading them to the vault of the Traveller. The only issue was getting past Hyperion and them trying to capture them or kill them. Whatever worked best for the company. Hyperion knew Rhys had valuable information in his head but in no way did they think it was literally Handsome Jack. As long as Rhys’ brain remained in tack, they didn’t care who got injured or died with their moonshots.

 

“And that is when we got split up. Care to continue Hat, while I finally get some sleep?”

 

Rhys perked up to the word and waited patiently for his next shot at regaining his body. Fiona was already awake by the time Jack got to this point in the story and found she was already sitting up and stretching. Fiona spoke through her yawns and began talking about how Sasha and her travelled back to Hollow Point where they gathered what supplies were left from Felix’s departure, including the little gifts he left for them.

 

“And then of course, we ran into the goons, Kroger and Finch…”

 

 

 

 

Jack could barely hold on anymore and found himself fast asleep. The story played out in his head from when Rhys, Vaughn and himself were practically trapped in the desert of Pandora and eventually got cornered by Wallethead.

 

_I wish Vasquez would’ve just shot me dead. At least all of this would have been done and over with._

The scene changed and Vasquez did exactly that, but the trigger and blast of the gun never came. Rhys and Jack ended up getting pulled into Jack’s office. They sat together on the couch as they once had a long time ago.

 

Jack laughed, “Nah Rhysie. Wouldn’t let good ol’ Wallethead blast yeah. Not after all we had been through.”

 

_At the time, all I had on you was you being back. That’s all I cared about._

“Oh, and what, didn’t even care that I basically saved your ass and kept you alive every moment you were on Pandora?”

 

_Did you forget I got to Pandora on my own and survived the entire time ON MY OWN without your help!_

“Wow, bravo Rhysie. A whole few hours is NOTHING compared to the months we were stuck together. If it weren’t for me, you’d still be tied to that damn chair being tortured by Vallory.”

 

The mention of Vallory brought Rhys’ mind to a halt as everything changed into the building that Vallory kept Rhys in. He was tied to the chair as Jack stood over him, smiling down as Rhys struggled with the restraints. Jack leaned in and put his hand out, causing Rhys to flinch.

 

_Don’t you dare. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have even been in that chair in the first place._

Jack chuckled, “Well, could’ve made it easier if you just told her what was going on in our head.”

 

_Who was the one begging me not to? Oh yeah, that’s right. YOU._

Jack felt a spark run through his body but thought nothing of it. He felt the darkness of full sleep begin to consume him. He didn’t stir, flinch or even hitch in his breathing. He waited for the silence but Rhys continued to kick at his brain.

 

_What use do you get from using me?_

“I get the whole world Rhys. Using you was the best damn thing that happened to me.”

 

 

Rhys fell silent only for a moment, until his voice went from a whisper, to a loud obnoxious scream that vibrated Jack’s body. Jack jumped and opened his eyes but did not find himself looking in the torture room with Rhys. Instead, everything surrounding Jack was black. The only image in front of him was Rhys, standing, perfectly solid. As soon as he saw Jack, his face contorted and he ran straight for him, knocking Jack to the ground. His head bounced off the ground as Rhys began to punch Jack, first with his right fist, and then his left and he kept switching faster and faster. Jack attempted to grab Rhys’ wrist and succeeded in pushing him off. Rhys continued to scream, groan and fight Jack,

 

“GET OUT OF MY HEAD YOU BASTARD!”

 

Jack smirked and felt his stomach jolt as he slammed Rhys to the ground and held his face to the floor, lifting it up and slamming it back down. Rhys continued to cry out in pain but it only made Jack feel the electricity around him. He brought his lips inches from Rhys’ ears and whispered,

 

“I’ll get out when we’re both dead. And I don’t plan on letting that happen anytime soon. You are mine Rhys. Got it muffin?”

 

Rhys used the moment to bring his head back and knock Jack to the side. He stood on shaking legs and kicked Jack a few times before stumbling away and ran as far from Jack as he could. The man laughed but only ran after Rhys. He jumped at him and wrapped his arms around his legs, dragging him closer to him and holding him to the floor,

 

“Where do you think you can run Rhys? I’m always here. AND I’M NEVER LEAVING.”

 

Rhys kicked his feet at Jack and saw the man’s head fall backwards. He grabbed Jack by the throat and planted his full weight on the man’s chest. He squeezed with all his might as Jack continued to look at him, smile plastered on his face and still chuckling,

 

“Go ahead Rhysie. Try it. See where this gets us. This is all in your head.”

 

Rhys continued to squeeze as he looked between Jack’s watering eyes and his hands around his neck. He began shaking, crying at the man below him and tried to ignore Jack’s words but knew he was right. Everything they were experiencing was a battle fought within their minds. He wanted to see the man die beneath him but knew it would never come. He loosened his grip as his chest heaved and tears poured down his face. He pushed against Jack and stood, spitting down at the man,

 

“It’s my goddamn life Jack. I’m not your puppet. I’m not your goddamn pet and I’m NOT YOURS.”

 

Rhys began to walk away from the man and within that moment, everything halted. They both stopped breathing, the subtle sound of blood flowing ran quiet as the darkness fully consumed them.

 

 

 

“RHYS!”

 

Rhys’ eyes shot open as he began to cough dryly. Fiona pushed Rhys onto his side as he tried to regain a paced breathing. His eyes gleamed in the sunrays as the sun reached the hills, rising for a new day. Rhys looked down at vomit that he had clearly produced but didn’t realize he had done so until he tasted the sour liquid on his lips. For a moment he smiled, laughed a bit but didn’t say a word until he brought his hands together,

 

“Fi?”

 

Fiona froze, “R-Rhys? Is that seriously you?”

 

He looked towards her and with his own mind and body, grabbed Fiona in a hug. She laughed but immediately made a disgusted squeal,

 

“Okay. This is great and everything but I’d appreciate you cleaning up before hugging me with puke everywhere.”

 

Rhys felt a laugh build in his chest and felt his face contort into a vicious smile.

 

“You really don’t get it, do you Rhysie?”

 

Rhys felt it fall from his lips but he knew that wasn’t him. Fiona stared at him and immediately reacted by slapping Rhys hard across the face, hitting his port straight on. The sound caused the stranger to jump up and pulled the two apart,

 

“That’s enough!”

 

Fiona scrambled and tried to push past to hit Rhys again but saw him shake his head,

 

“It’s fine. I think you gottem.”

 

Fiona paused and was breathing heavily as she watched Rhys grab his head and shake it around a few times,

 

“He’s an asshole, right?”

 

Fiona nodded but wasn’t calling it a success yet, “Yeah. The biggest asshole. Rhys, are you okay?”

 

He looked up to Fiona as if staring into a bright light. His eyes were squinting and his forehead was wrinkled. He tried to smile but it looked painful,

 

“I think I’m okay. Jack’s…quiet.”

 

Fiona huffed, “That’s…not actually good. Jack quiet is never good.”

 

Rhys shrugged and rubbed his eyes as he grabbed focus,

 

“Who knows how long this will last but for the time being, I’m in control. I just won’t be able to sleep for a few days. Maybe for the rest of my life.”

 

Fiona rolled her eyes, “Yeah. Okay. And how’s that gonna’ work out for you?”

 

The stranger broke the moment, “I’m not entirely sure what’s going on, but we need to move.” He paused, “I still need the rest of the story.”

 

“You’re kidding.”

 

“What happened after you retrieved Gortys?”

 

Fiona looked over at Rhys and knew he was in no condition to be thinking straight. She rolled up her sleeves, stood and helped Rhys up as she continued their story. They bounced off of each other as they told the confusing, bloody and long journey they had. Rhys went from being an office worker to getting Handsome Jack in his head and dragged his friends along to find a vault. One day, Fiona’s a thief with her sister, and the next, she’s a vault hunter. When they had retrieved Gortys and turned her on, they realized the journey they were on was bigger than the both of them. Gortys was the key to finding a vault and they would be their companion in all of it.

 

They began searching on a Cliffside that looked all too familiar to Rhys. He couldn’t piece why but Jack kept whistling and not giving Rhys the answers.

 

“If only you’d let me take control, this would all make perfect sense.”

 

Rhys sighed, “I bet as soon as I sleep, you’ll do just that, won’t you?”

 

Jack tried to act dumb, “Well I don’t know. Guess we’ll see, won’t we? But look at that, days almost out. And you’re already tired.”

 

Rhys shook his head and continued looking on the hills for what the stranger called a piece to the puzzle. Out of nowhere, Fiona screamed,

 

“I GOT SOMETHING!”

 

They ran over and Rhys couldn’t believe his eyes. He picked up the item and nearly cried at the sight,

 

“It’s a piece of Gortys.”

 

The stranger pulled it out of Rhys’ arms and held it close, aiming his gun at Fiona and Rhys. Fiona snorted,

 

“Relax.”

 

The stranger pointed his gun at Rhys,

 

“Tell me what happened to Gortys.”

 

Rhys raised his hands to defend himself,

 

“It’s seriously complicated. They were helping us and we found that piece and things went south from there.”

 

Rhys explained in stutters, whines and guilt as he explained how he took over the facility with Jack and were able to get Gortys their second piece but were nowhere near finding the last one. When they escaped one dangerous and insane place, they fell into another. Gortys wanted nothing more then to help the group and kept everything positive, but then Rhys’ biggest demon came.

 

“Vallory. She…she is a monster.”

 

Fiona corrected Rhys, “Was a monster.”

 

Rhys paused and looked down at his hands. Slight shaking over took him and Jack couldn’t help but laugh,

 

“That shit still gets to you? Come on man.”

 

Rhys ignored Jack and looked towards the stranger,

 

“We had a plan for Gortys’ last piece but while we waited, I got tortured because of Jack. And when that damn ship was finally ready, it was too late because the monster won and knew my secret. We got up there, we got the piece and everything was almost in place until Jack took charge. I lost control because I let Jack in. Because I took that chance and you know what? Wasn’t worth it because from what I remember hearing through all of Jack’s stupid bullshit is that we lost Gortys anyways, isn’t that right Fiona?”

 

She looked down and avoided the others gazes, “It… it’s not that simple.”

 

“Then what happened?”

 

Fiona sighed and leaned against the hillside,

 

“Gortys was given the piece and within those instances, we crash landed on Pandora and the vault was opened. But with a vault comes its guardian. Gortys was created to not only keep the vault open, but to stop the monster. But they-they couldn’t. None of us could. So Vallory did what she had to and I tried to stop her, only getting her killed.”

 

Rhys huffed, “Good.”

 

Fiona rolled her eyes, “She was still August’s mother Rhys. When I got there, I thought everyone was dead. I didn’t even know where my sister was. Gortys asked me to shoot her. To stop her at all costs because if she wasn’t there, neither was the monster. And I did. She begged me to kill her and I did and you know what that feels like? It’s fucking nuts! I cared about all of you and within those instances I thought I had gotten everyone killed. ME, RHYS.”

 

They halted and Fiona was breathing deeply. Rhys immediately felt hurt,

 

“Fi. None of this is your fault. If anything, I’m to blame-”

 

“Don’t start. We all had our part and I just happened to be the cause of Gortys’ death. The ending I never wanted but the only way we had left to stop that vault.”

 

The stranger sighed and picked up their gun again,

 

“We need to keep moving. Up towards the rocket. Now.”

 

Rhys looked to Fiona and immediately felt uneasy,

 

“What is goin-”

 

"Well I'll be damned. Y'all are still alive!"

 

Finch appeared, gun pointed at someone who had a bandit mask. From the looks of how they were dressed, Rhys wasn't entirely sure they were a bandit. Finch rounded the ship and waved for the stranger and the other two to join him. The stranger pointed his shotgun at the two and got them moving. Finch slow clapped and couldn't stop smiling,

 

"Man, I honestly didn't think you'd do it but here we are. Got crazy one and one psycho too."

 

Fiona crossed her arms and poked at Finch,

 

“Hey, how’s Kroger? Oh wait, where is he?”

 

Finch raised his gun at Fiona and growled, “He’s dead no thanks to you.”

 

The stranger stepped between the gun, “Hey! Deal was two for one.”

 

Finch chuckled, “Yeah. But once I get em, I didn’t say I’d keep them alive.”

 

Rhys’ stomach dropped, “Are we missing something?”

 

Finch pushed the bandit towards the stranger and they slid against the ground. The stranger sighed and readjusted his aim back on Fiona and Rhys,

 

“Go.”

 

Rhys’ jaw stayed open and Fiona laughed, “Yeah. No. I’d rather not.”

 

Finch laughed, “Well a deals a deal girly. Two psychos for one.”

 

The stranger grabbed the bandit from the ground and stared towards Finch as he pulled out a knife,

 

“Now, this is for Kroger. Some even payback.”

 

Finch walked towards Fiona with the knife. Her eyes went wide as she attempted to back up but found herself in a corner. Rhys tried to interject but the stranger held his gun on Rhys,

 

“You can’t be serious! You are not actually letting this happen?”

 

Within that moment, Fiona felt regret. She felt like words were being stolen from her as she never got to say goodbye to Sasha. She would never forgive herself for not taking the clues and finding Felix to thank him and in that moment, she missed traveling with her friends that easily became her new family. Regret swallowed her mind as Finch stepped right in front of her.

 

“Any last words girlie?”

 

She smirked, “Just make it quick.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is getting so close to being done. Did I mention I started writing another one? hahaha 
> 
> In case I didn't mention it before, I'm definitely Borderlands Trash now :P
> 
> Lastly, I feel like this story is falling apart so I will be ending it very soon. Give or take a couple more chapters before I close this door. 
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading. I'm sorry with how terrible this chapter is. I've been so busy with work and holiday good times that my ideas are crumbling and I'm losing interest in this specific story. Hopefully I'll make a NOT so terrible ending. I've already written the last paragraph of the story even though I've yet to write a single word of the next chapters. 
> 
> Just know I have an ending written...and it's definitely close. 
> 
> I'm sorry.


	26. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything has collapsed and it's up to them to rebuild it in more ways than one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> REUNITED AND IT FEELS SO GOOD.

A shot echoed into the open. Fiona and Finch stared at one another. For a moment, they looked at each other and smiled and the next second, Finch collapsed on the ground as blood seeped out of his back. Fiona looked up and found her eyes on Rhys, holding the stranger's shotgun towards her and had clearly been the one to fire. Based on the way Rhys was smiling, Fiona's stomach tightened. She noticed the gleam in his eyes as he began to turn around and aim at the stranger. She bolted and on instinct, grabbed the knife off Finch, ran at Rhys and stabbed him in the shoulder, gaining a wrenching scream,

 

"WHY YOU LITTLE BIT-"

 

Fiona punched Jack hard on the port, knocking him out and causing him to fall limp on the ground,

 

"Sorry Rhys."

 

 

Fiona grabbed the shotgun off of Rhys and held it close. The stranger looked towards Fiona and nodded,

 

“Thank you.”

 

Fiona shrugged, “Don’t mention it.” She immediately turned the gun on the stranger,

 

“But now it’s time for you to start talking. Who are you and why in all of Pandora were you keeping us hostage to tell the ridiculous story that is our lives?”

 

The stranger held their hands up and took a moment to think. As they went to speak, the bandit stood and made a hand signal. Within seconds, red dots appeared on Fiona and the stranger. She sighed,

 

“Was fun while it lasted.”

 

She dropped the gun and put her hands up, as did the stranger. The bandit walked over and took the shotgun. They played around with the weight for a moment before knocking down the stranger and tying their hands together. The bandit turned on Fiona and began walking towards her. She backed up,

 

“Listen, whatever you want, I can get it for you.”

 

“How about a hello for starters.”

 

The voice was barely muffled but it sounded too familiar. The bandit took off their mask. The man beneath had longer hair then she remembered and a full beard.

 

“Vaughn?”

 

He smiled at Fiona and immediately opened his arms,

 

“It’s been a while.”

 

Fiona laughed and couldn’t believe her eyes. She ran into Vaughn’s arms and held him for a moment,

 

“I mean, how is this possible? Last we heard from you, Vallory-”

 

Vaughn laughed as they parted, “Yeah well, we both know how she ended up. I was terrified and thought all of you had died. I watched all of Helios come down. My home torn apart. How did you guys even get out?”

 

Fiona laughed, “It’s complicated.”

 

Rhys began to groan as he was coming back. Fiona grabbed his shoulder and shook,

 

“That better be you Rhys or I swear-”

 

“Did you REALLY have to stab my shoulder?”

 

Fiona chuckled as Rhys rubbed his arm, “Well, had to stop him somehow.”

 

Vaughn’s mind went blank, “Wait, I’m confused.”

 

Fiona helped Rhys sit up as he rubbed his throbbing port. Nothing seemed to numb the loud pain rippling through his brain. Jack went quiet again but he doubted it would last long. He looked at the new face within reach and sighed,

 

“I swear Jack if this is a joke, stop. It’s not funny.”

 

Vaughn smirked, “Well, for one, I don’t appreciate being called Jack. Vaughn’s been a nice name.”

 

Rhys double took and realized Vaughn was real and in the flesh, “VAUGHN. HOLY SHIT BRO I THOUGHT. HOW. WHAT?!”

 

He grabbed Vaughn and held him tight, knocking the air loose from Vaughn’s chest,

 

“Missed you too bro. But uh, I can’t breathe.”

 

Rhys froze for a moment and let him go,

 

“Shit sorry. It’s just. Wow. Man you grew a beard! You never let your hair grow man!”

 

Vaughn shrugged, “Thought it was time for a whole life style change.”

 

“And man does it work for you.”

 

“But you were saying something about Jack?”

 

They all went silent for a moment as Rhys frowned at the thought. A chuckle came from Rhys but it didn’t belong to him. Rhys grinded his teeth and held on,

 

“Jack’s back in my head. Has been since Helios. He’s uh… been taking control.”

 

Hearing him say it out load made it worse for Fiona. She barely understood Jack being in Rhys’ head to begin with but actually controlling him was a whole other story. Vaughn stared at Rhys for a moment before sighing,

 

“And you have no idea how to stop Jack? Or at least remove him?”

 

Rhys shrugged, “I thought about it but the only thing I can think of is creating another drive, kind of like Nakayama’s except reverse.”

 

 

The stranger began rustling against his restraints. Fiona sighed,

 

“Any chance we can talk about this somewhere not so out in the open? For all we know they have people coming after us.”

 

Vaughn smiled and waved his hand, “Follow me. I should warn you Rhys, the children of Helios are a little obsessed with you.”

 

Fiona snorted, “That’s torture.”

 

Rhys rolled his eyes, “Children of what?”

 

Vaughn nodded, “Helios. Let’s just say that some people survived the crash and everyone on the Hyperion end became lost and I was the one to help them find another life on Pandora.”

 

Rhys smiled and patted his friend’s back, “Proud buddy. Honestly, I’m just happy you’re still kickin’ around.”

 

Vaughn smiled and hugged his friend, “Me too bro. I’ve missed you-”

 

Fiona groaned, “Okay. We can have this bro love after. Can we please grab this guy and get to your… base?”

 

Vaughn nodded, “Yep. You’ll lov- well, let’s just wait till we get there.”

 

 

 

 

Fiona froze as they rounded the hillside, “Helios. Your base is literally Helios.”

 

Rhys felt his skin crawl, “Why is it Helios?”

 

Vaughn noticed Rhys’ hands begin to twitch at the sight, “Calm down man. It’s different. Half the place doesn’t even run properly. And the parts that do run are for our benefit. Like the moonshot. I mean, it’s dangerous but it’s great for security. All the rooms aren’t too heavily damaged so we can at least live here comfortably. OH, and we got the fast travel running again. That’s always a bonus. And we have our own ECHO systems. Not like you need it though, right Rhys?”

 

Rhys shook his head, “Jack keeps messing with the ECHO. I just stay away from it regardless.”

 

Fiona paused for a moment and went wide eyed, “SASHA!”

 

She ran down to the base and barely ran down one of the workers as she approached the ECHO station. Scrambling to gather a proper connection, she planted her feet and was finally able to ring through to Sasha.

 

“Please pick up. Please pick u-”

 

“Fiona? Where the hell are you!”

 

Fiona laughed and nearly cried hearing her sister’s voice again, “Oh man do I have a story for you. Listen, and this is gonna’ sound weird. Any chance you can track down a fast travel? You need to get down here immediately. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

 

Sasha snorted, “Odd request but okay. Give me a few hours and I’ll be there.”

 

“See you soon.”

 

Rhys and Vaughn were running towards Fiona as she hung up. Vaughn panted out of breath,

 

“Couldn’t-wait-up-for-us?”

 

Fiona laughed, “Got excited. So. What’s next on the agenda?”

 

Rhys turned over and looked at the stranger standing by them,

 

“Guess it’s time we know the truth to who you are.”

 

 

 

 

Vaughn found a quiet room within Helios, but it took them a little while to stop people from crowding Rhys as they saw their God that had taken down the station in the first place. Rhys had even run into Yvette who was grateful that Rhys was still alive but they would catch up later. The stranger sat at a table with Fiona and Rhys standing above them. Fiona had her gun resting in her arm while Rhys cradled the shotgun. Vaughn was in the corner of the room, waiting for something to happen. That’s when Fiona took charge,

 

“Okay, first off, how did you even find both of us?”

 

The stranger delayed before answering,

 

“You both happened to be around the same place. Isn’t that right, Fiona?”

 

She bit her lip and looked towards Rhys. Rhys forwarded his eyebrow at her,

 

“What’s that mean?”

 

Fiona sighed and rubbed her forehead, “It means I went looking for you. Again. After not hearing from you in over a month, Sasha and I thought you were dead. But all of a sudden we get word that Atlas is reopening but that sounded too fishy to me. I thought, kill two birds with one stone. Check out the place, maybe steal a few expensive things and if I find you, great. And if not, at least I’d have something to take away from it all.”

 

Rhys chuckled, “But instead you found?”

 

Fiona sighed, “I found you but this jackass happened to be doing the same thing. Scoping out the place. When they saw me, they threatened me and forced me to follow them. They devised a plan to get you out of hiding and well, here we are.”

 

Rhys felt a chuckle in his chest but knew it wasn’t his.

 

“And what does the big man have to say for it all?”

 

The stranger stared towards Rhys,

 

“I got you all together. And I got the story. That’s all I needed.”

 

“Yeah, about Gortys. I kind of put that together myself. But why?”

 

“I just needed to hear the truth. I was there when you took down Helios and I was there when you destroyed Gortys.”

 

The three of them looked at each other stunned. Fiona hesitated for a moment,

 

“Like we said, we had no other choice-”

 

“And I know that now. But I want to-”

 

Rhys aimed the shotgun at the stranger and Fiona’s eyes went wide, putting herself between the stranger and the gun,

 

“Woah Rhys, calm down. They’ve still got a lot to answer fo-”

 

Rhys cocked the shotgun and smirked up to Fiona,

 

“I don’t care.”

 

Vaughn slowly stood up and carefully approached Rhys from behind. Fiona stared at Rhys for a moment and saw the same forced grin that appeared on his face,

 

“You’re not Rhys, are you?”

 

He chuckled and nearly fell over, “NOPE. Took yeah long enough. It’s been me for a while! Now listen, I’ve had it with you low life, scumbags and all this talking. You all keep getting in the way of my plans and I just want to go back to Atlas and finish what I Goddamn started. So if you don’t mind, which you won’t in a second, I’m gonna’ kill you.”

 

The stranger stood and pushed Fiona out of the way. Jack laughed and aimed the gun right at their chests,

 

“Any last words?”

 

Jack didn’t give them any. He fired the shotgun, gaining a yell from Vaughn and a scream from Fiona. However, no blood sprayed and the stranger stood, now with holes in his clothing but perfectly alive. Jack was confused and loaded the gun again, shooting again, but nothing. The stranger grabbed the shotgun and brought it up, forcing it to knock Jack down, but keeping the shotgun with them. Jack tried to stand but found Vaughn over him, punching him hard across the face and knocking him out.

 

 

 

 

“Think he’ll notice?”

 

Fiona laughed, “Of course he will. He’s not that dumb.”

 

Another familiar voice perked up. Rhys knew it but his mind was scrambled,

 

“He may not be dumb, but he’s not exactly the brightest. Which is why I took more to you Fiona than I did him.”

 

Rhys moaned and opened his eyes. He saw heads floating above him and immediately jumped, but getting held down by hands.

 

“Relax buddy. It’s okay!”

 

Vaughn tried to calm him but Rhys only continued to panic,

 

“Where am I?”

 

The words sent chills down Vaughn’s body but he held firm,

 

“Just within the old Hospital wing. Its surprisingly still in good condition.”

 

Rhys head began to throb and brought his hand up to his head,

 

“What in the hell happened?”

 

Fiona snorted, “Your buddy stopped you from killing someone, that’s what.”

 

Rhys immediately felt the guilt settle in his stomach, “I-I’m sorry.”

 

Rhys looked over and saw Athena there, identifying the other voice. She never smiled around him,

 

“May have knocked you around too hard. You started to seizer which is why we’re all here.”

 

Rhys was taken aback. “Uh. Okay. Doesn’t explain why _you’re_ here.”

 

Fiona frowned, “Yeah. We’ll explain that later. She’s here to help us with a new project that we’ll tell you all about once you’re feeling a bit bet-”

 

“What is it?”

 

She sighed, “We’re rebuilding Gortys.”

 

Rhys nearly choked on his own spit and sat up, “WHAT?!”

 

“IT’S FINE. We have a plan this time…somewhat of a plan. We’re gathering others to help us out!”

 

“You do realize what happened last time. All of you almost died.”

 

“But we didn’t. Listen, it’ll be fine! It’s a win win. We get Gortys back AND we get a vault.”

 

Jack’s ears perked up, sending chills down Rhys’ back. He ignored it and shook his head,

 

“This just screams bad idea.”

 

“I mean, it’s not the greatest. But it’ll do.”

 

Rhys laughed nervously, “No. This is dumb. How-what even sparked this?”

 

“I DID.”

 

Rhys turned over and found himself looking at a smaller bodied LB.

 

“LB? L GODDAMN B? HOW DID YOU SURVIVE HELIOS?!”

 

“TAKES MORE THEN A FALL TO KILL ME.”

 

Vaughn sighed, “Turns out our stranger was LB all along. They just wanted to know why we had to stop Gortys in the first place. But to get Gortys back, we gotta’ open the vault and with a vault comes it's monster.”

 

Rhys was stunned, jaw opened, staring at his robot buddy, “And you’re the one who came up with all of this?”

 

LB nodded, “YES. BUT WE MUST MOVE QUICKLY FOR GORTYS IS WAITING.”

 

LB left the room and Fiona followed. All that were left were Vaughn and Athena. He looked nervous and shrugged,

 

“I can get you all caught up once you’re out of bed.”

 

Rhys sighed and pushed the covers off, climbing out of the bed but nearly falling. He caught himself and stood,

 

“I-I’m fine. See? Perfect.”

 

Vaughn chuckled lightly, “Do you ever stop getting hurt?”

 

Rhys smiled and finally felt his own laugh fall out of his mouth, “Nah. Wouldn’t be me if I didn’t.”

 

Athena cleared her throat, “Get some fresh clothes on. I’ll be outside.”

 

Athena left the room and Vaughn presented Rhys with clean clothes. Some of his own. Rhys jaw sagged open,

 

“Whaaa.”

 

Vaughn smiled, “Our apartment got damaged but I was able to find a few things. Clothes being a big one.”

 

Vaughn helped Rhys get dressed as he updated him on everything. They were calling in all hands to help them with Gortys. Springs and Athena were there to get things going. Obviously they had the group of them; Fiona, August, Sasha, Vaughn, Rhys and LB. Vaughn was the leading man of all of Helios, his so called Children of Helios, could easily gather more allies. Other then that, Fiona had gone looking for their old friend Felix but only got another farewell, however, he had money that he snuck and gave to them to hire someone else. They hired on Zero, while Athena had more ideas of who else to hire.

 

Just as Vaughn got to her name, Athena entered with handcuffs and pained eyes. Vaughn looked from the cuffs to Athena. She nudged her head to the door and Vaughn took the signal to leave. Rhys glared at the cuffs and sighed at Athena,

 

“I assume those are for me?”

 

She scuffed, “Yeah. To make sure you don’t hurt anyone else.”

 

Athena roughly grabbed Rhys and pulled his arms behind his back. He winced. Jack bit his lips and chuckled to himself,

 

“Kind of jealous I never thought of cuffs.”

 

Rhys blushed and kicked himself for feeling anything.

 

They walked together down an awkwardly slanted corridor that used to be proper Helios hallways. Rhys had too many questions rustling in his brain to ask Athena but could only think of one,

 

“How did you escape the vault hunters? I mean, the last we saw of you, you were being dragged away.”

 

She smirked, “Let’s just say we came to an agreement.”

 

They found themselves walking towards the Hall of Heroism, or at least what was left of it. Gathered around were the Children of Helios, Vaughn, Yvette and the gang and a big map, with a hologram of the vault monster within Gortys’ vault.

 

“Eh, perfect timing Rhys. So, once we get the vault opened, we need to get the monster to this point. Which is where Rhys is going to come in. You and Gortys are going to work together to bring the monster to you. If we can get it to teleport just beyond this cliff, we’re golden.”

 

Athena pushed Rhys into a chair and cuffed one of his hands to it. Rhys struggled but let it happen. He knew it was for everyone’s safety and sanity. He looked at Vaughn and sighed,

 

“And why exactly am I the bait?”

 

Vaughn snorted, “Not to sound like an asshole, but you always have a weird way of gravitating the bad guys towards you.”

 

Jack laughed, “You’re not wrong.”

 

“I’m sure you and Gortys can work something out. Anyways, that’s all for today guys. Let’s pack it in, gather what we can and we’ll meet back tomorrow and prep Gortys.”

 

Everyone broke off and Rhys sat there, dumbstruck. Athena lifted Rhys and cuffed his hands back again. Vaughn walked towards them and winced at the sight,

 

“So good news, bad news, good news.”

 

Rhys sighed, “Bad news first.”

 

“With Jack in your head, your gonna’ have to be watched buddy. I hate doing this to you but you kno-”

 

“I know. To be honest, I prefer that. Safer.”

 

Athena snorted, “Yeah. Cause you pulling a gun on your friends isn’t safe.”

 

Rhys sighed and looked away from his friend. Vaughn perked up and put his hand on Rhys’ shoulder,

 

“Good news. We got an entire moonshot system that can take this monster down as long as we plan it right!”

 

Rhys rolled his eyes, “And the other good news?”

 

Vaughn smirked devilishly, “Oh right. Sasha’s waiting in the dinner hall.”

 

Rhys felt his heart skip a beat. It had been a while since him and Sasha had been in the same room. He missed her company more then he realized and he still found his heart was beating faster around her then anyone else. Jack gagged at the thought,

 

“Ew. What’s that you’re feelin’? Love? Nah. You can’t love Rhys. We both know that.”

 

Rhys rolled his eyes and followed Athena and Vaughn into the dinner hall. He scanned the room but didn’t find Sasha anywhere. Even Vaughn was a little disappointed,

 

“I swore she was here. Maybe Fiona took her out for a bit to catch up.”

 

Rhys sighed and sat down at one of the tables where a few other members of Helios gawked at him. He tried to avoid their eyes and instead planted them on the food waiting before him. Athena loosened the cuffs and let Rhys free. He smiled and rubbed his hands, gathering the fork and knife in hand as he dug in. He found someones hand leaning into his food and caught them stealing some food. He smirked and immediately found Yvette,

 

"Still into that?"

 

She smirked and shoved the food in her mouth, "Wouldn't be the same without you, Rhys."

 

Just as he was swallowing a big piece of what he could tell was Skag meat, they heard a door open.

 

“Well, look what the skag dragged in.”

 

Rhys nearly choked as he turned around and saw the one he’d been waiting for. He stood from the table and was in shock. He had never seen a more beautiful sight in that moment. She had the same warm smile, the giggle that sent his heart into a panic but a whole different look. Sasha’s hair was significantly shorter then he remembered and part of him felt she was a lot smaller then he remembered. The bags under her eyes told Rhys the weight loss wasn’t a good thing and that she had clearly been at wits end. Sasha began laughing,

 

“Can’t take your eyes off of me now? How about you come here and give me a hug?”

 

Rhys laughed and felt like he was going to cry. He ran at Sasha and gathered her into the tightest of bear hugs.

 

“God I’ve missed you.”

 

He heard pain in her voice, “I thought you were dead.”

 

“Well, I’m not. And thankfully neither are you.”

 

They pulled back briefly and Rhys wished he could freeze this moment and live in it forever. Rhys could see the sadness and sleepless nights in her eyes. He bit his lip and avoided her eyes for a moment,

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

He looked up at those words, “For what?”

 

She sighed, “For…giving up. I honestly thought you were gone.”

 

Tears threatened her eyes but she held on. Rhys was far-gone at this point. He placed his hand on her cheek. She closed her eyes and pushed her cheek into the touch. Rhys pulled her closer and leaned in, closing his eyes but felt a rumble in his chest, laughing in Sasha’s face, “HA. YOU ACTUALLY THOUGHT I CARED ABOUT YOU. OH MY GOD. PRICELESS-”

 

Rhys screamed and pushed Sasha back, grabbing his head in his hands, “JACK, NO.”

 

He began laughing, “OHHH RHYSIE. See, it’s moments like these that make yeah weak. You lose concentration and BOOM. Back in business baby.”

 

Sasha’s eyes watered as she stared at Rhys in disbelief, “Rhys?”

 

Jack turned and smiled, “Nah. Rhys has been a bad boy and needs to learn his goddamn pla-”

 

Sasha slapped Jack hard across the face and just hit the port enough for Rhys to pop back,

 

“Ahhh. Ouch. Thank you. But owe.”

 

“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT RHYS?”

 

The others were quiet and standing only a few feet from them. Athena was bracing herself and was ready to take Rhys down at any moment. Rhys sighed and tried to place his hands on Sasha’s shoulders but she backed away,

 

“OH NO, don’t give me that puppy dog eye shit. What’s going on?”

 

Rhys rubbed the back of his neck and could hear Jack’s low laughing hiding in his mind,

 

“Jack…it’s complicated. He was Helios and he was able to hold me.”

 

“And what? Jack just happened to end up back in your mind? Is that it?”

 

Rhys froze for a moment, “Wait, you actually think I wanted this?”

 

“Well yeah. You and Jack were thick as thieves right?!”

 

“Uh no. Actually, Jack’s a complete lunatic. Why in that hell would I want Jack BACK in my mind after I got rid of him?”

 

Sasha went to deliver another comeback but couldn’t think of anything. Rhys wasn’t wrong and she knew it but she was angry with Rhys. Upset.

 

“Then, where have you been all this time? I thought you were dead. Not a damn sign in sight until we heard about Atlas reopening.”

 

Jack perked up, "Woah wait, goggles heard too?"

“Listen, I tried to look for you guys. But Jack had complete control. I literally couldn’t do ANYTHING. You know how insane it is to see your own body walk around, talk and it not _be_ you? It’s fucked up. Not to mention, Jack was using MY name to get everything for himself. And MY face. So people now see me as this Atlas asshole.”

 

Sasha saw the pain in Rhys’ eyes and hesitated before speaking again,

 

“Any idea how to get him out?”

 

Rhys sighed and shook his head, “Not a damn clue.”

 

Jack chuckled, “Could just kill yourself.”

 

Rhys grinded his teeth and stared at Sasha,

 

“If you’ve got any ideas, I’ll take anything at this point.”

 

Sasha sighed but perked up for a moment,

 

“I think I actually know a girl.”

 

 

 

Sasha opened the door up to a smaller figured female. She hopped in and immediately ran at Rhys, showcasing her robotic arm,

 

“Eh, look! We’re twinsies! Axton! LOOK!”

 

Another person walked in, scanning the room before entering and examined Rhys,

 

“Looks like you’ve seen better days.”

 

Rhys didn’t laugh, “You could say that.”

 

Sasha squealed and hugged the other female,

 

“It’s so good to see you, Gaige! I don’t understand why you’re here though, Axton?”

 

Gaige laughed, “I never go adventuring without that guy!”

 

Axton sighed and rubbed his eyes, “She said it was important business so I tagged along just in case things got serious. Clearly, this is nothing so I'm leaving.”

 

“WAIT!”

 

Fiona came running around and stopped Axton in his steps. He looked around and waited for her to continue.

 

“We could actually use your help. With something bigger than any of us.”

 

Axton smirked, “How can I be of assistance?”

 

Fiona began explaining to them about the Gortys project and how it contained a vault. The mention of a vault made them both perk up. That’s what they lived for after all. A low humming came from Rhys’ head and before he knew it, Jack was pacing his blue holographic form in front of him,

 

“We cannot trust these assholes Rhys.”

 

Rhys rolled his eyes, “And why should I listen a damn thing you have to say?”

 

Jack stood right in front of Rhys and touched his port, sending memories of when Jack had the Warrior. He sent Rhys back even further and a familiar face appeared.

 

“Angel.”

 

Jack grinned his teeth, “These bastards helped kill my baby girl. That’s why we can’t trust them.”

 

The way Jack said the line made Rhys feel increasingly uneasy and felt a pile of vomit rest in his throat. He swallowed it carefully and steadied himself. Part of Rhys fell into the habit of listening to what Jack had to say, but considering the situation Rhys was currently in, he felt it right to trust Sasha in calling them in the first place. He rubbed his port and pushed Jack out of his mind as best as he could. That’s when Axton looked over to Rhys,

 

“Is he okay?”

 

Rhys looked up and swallowed the lump that had formed, terrified of the solider in front of him. Sasha sighed and looked towards Gaige,

 

“That’s another reason why I called. I was hoping you could help us with Rhys.”

 

 

 

 

"No! HELL NO. We are not doing this again."

 

Gaige was whining, "Oh come on Axton. The poor dudes innocent."

 

"Innocent? HE'S GOT HANDSOME GODDAMN JACK IN HIS HEAD. HOW'S THAT FOR INNOCENT? I say we just kill him."

 

Axton cocked his gun but Fiona and Sasha stopped him, "Woah no."

 

Gaige was getting upset, "You need to calm down. We are not just going around and killing random people. That would be stupid."

 

Axton groaned and put his gun away, "It would be so much easier. Let me paint this pretty picture for you. Rhys, right? He can't go anywhere or be safe around anyone anymore because Jack can control him, right? So why don't we avoid that whole batshit crazy idea altogether and literally cut the problem out?"

 

Gaige grabbed Axton by the shoulders and held him firm, "We. Are. Not. Killing. Rhys. Okay? This is something we'll figure out. We always d-"

 

"This is different. What are we even talking of doing to the kid? Jack's in his head. I don't do brain mechanics."

 

Gaige groaned, "Yeah well, we'll figure that out too. We know what we know and we'll put that forward."

 

"And what if it goes south Gaige? What if Jack comes back? I'm not dealing with that all again. It took us, what, a handful of months, maybe even a few years to take down Jack? I'm not starting this again."

 

Sasha stepped in and tried to defuse the tension in the room,

 

“Okay. I get there are strong feelings about Jack. Trust me, we had to deal with it too. But Rhys is still his own person. Let’s just focus on what we know and maybe we can start figuring out getting Gortys back together before jumping on the Jack train.”

 

Axton looked at everyone, took a breath and rubbed his eyes,

 

“Fine. But Rhys, Jack. Whatever. They make one wrong move around me and I swear that’ll be the end of that.”

 

 

The discussion continued without Rhys but had heard everything they were saying. He was only in the next room over with Vaughn and Athena and the entire time they just stared at him. He avoided their eyes and pretended not to pay attention but they all heard what had been said and it didn’t make it any easier for Rhys to ignore. All of a sudden, the group of them walked in. Axton quickly looked over Rhys and then rubbed his hands together,

 

“Okay. Where’s the robot so we can start this project up?”

 

Vaughn stood and led the way. Gaige didn’t follow and instead stayed with the group,

 

“Well Rhys, I’m gonna take a look at you. See if good ol’ Gaige can get Jack out for a bit. Sound like a plan?”

 

Rhys rubbed his arms and nodded, not wanting to say anything incase Jack popped out. Athena stood firm at Rhys’ back as Fiona crossed her arms and avoided Rhys’ gaze,

 

“So, any idea where to go from here?”

 

Gaige smirked and laughed, “Not a damn clue. You got a port though, right? Said something about you owning Atlas?”

 

Rhys nodded, “Apparently, I do.”

 

Gaige rubbed her hands, “Perfect. We’re gonna have to stop there first. We’ll need some equipment from there. After that, it’s off to the races.”

  

Rhys leaned over and whispered to Sasha, “Where did you say you know them from?”

 

Sasha smirked and shrugged, “I didn’t. I’ll tell you later.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> REUNITED HEEY HEEEYYY.
> 
>  
> 
> Hahaha. So anyways. Things are moving again. Stuff and thangs.
> 
> Let's hope I don't crash and burn this baby. 
> 
>  
> 
> We're getting close to the end now. It's been a blast. 
> 
> But it's not over yet!


	27. Caged

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing is going in Rhys' favour and it only becomes worse as he ends up trapped and caged like an animal as Jack plots his next, and possibly final move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING (I guess) Bit of pain in this chapter, physical "torture". and convulsion. 
> 
>  
> 
> Sorry/not sorry. I terribly enjoy hurting Rhys.
> 
> And guess what....
> 
> Two-three more chapters left. Crazy right?
> 
> The story's almost over.

Gaige was setting up within one of the old test labs Rhys had once been in what felt like ages ago. Last he remembered of the place was blood splatter and dismembered animal parts scattered along the walls but it had clearly been changed around and cleaned from the last time he visited. Aside from the damaged station, the lab was sturdy, the lights still worked and the equipment that Gaige and the group of them had gathered from Atlas made it good as new. Gaige set up cameras around the room and set up half the equipment within the test lab itself and half on the other side of the viewing glass. Right smack in the middle of it all was a chair. Not one of Rhys’ likings but one made for testing and one he remembered looking all too familiar. It was the same style of chair that people used when experimenting on patients. It was standing up right and could be moved and adjusted automatically with a simple button. It had restrains for the neck, arms, wrists, waist, legs and ankles. Rhys felt a pain form in his throat and it wouldn’t leave, as Gaige brought a few cables around the chair and paused as she looked towards Athena and Rhys and saw Rhys’ hesitation,

 

“Well? Let em’ go and help him on the chair.”

 

Rhys sighed, “More like table.”

 

Gaige made some sort of laughing noise, “It’s not a table. It’s a chair. Or bed. More like a bed-chair? I don’t know the proper name, I just make names up for things. So please have a seat. Or lay down.”

 

Carefully, Athena followed directions and only took the cuffs off momentarily. Rhys didn’t react fast enough. Immediately, Jack broke threw and knocked Athena out, grabbing her gun and aiming it at Gaige. Gaige was fast and didn’t hesitate to aim her gun back at him,

 

“This isn’t my first rodeo with you, Jack. Don’t think I won’t do it.”

 

Jack laughed, “Do it. You’ll only be hurting him. But you. Ohhh, I can kill you as much as I want. I just wanna’ tear you apart. Death by a thousand little pieces. So. Stop what you’re doing, and maybe I’ll let you live.”

 

Gaige sighed and flicked her wrist without any extra effort. A robot started to emerge in front of them and fanned out it’s metal. Jack smirked and shook his head,

 

“Deathtrap? Really? Think a little bot is gonna’ stop me? Gonna have to kill me. Sorry.”

 

Gaige smirked, “Nah. Just gotta shock you a bit. Sorry, Rhys.”

 

Deathtrap barely moved as a bolt of electricity struck Jack and instantly brought him to the floor. Once Deathtrap was gone, Rhys’ body continued to convulse and then completely froze. Gaige dropped what she was doing and ran at Rhys’ side, checking his pulse but finding nothing.

 

“Shoot. Sh-shoot. Oh god. Rhys? Oh…oh no.”

 

She briefly shook him around and then began performing CPR. She couldn’t stop tears and heard Athena coming to. She immediately screamed,

 

“HELP! I-I don’t know. I thought-but Jack-”

 

“Move.”

 

Athena pushed her out of the way and continued CPR. With a few more pumps, Rhys jolted and started coughing. His breathing began again but he was still knocked unconscious. Athena used the last of her fleeting strength and got Rhys restrained on the chair. He struggled slightly against her. Athena huffed and checked on Gaige, who was shaking briefly and couldn’t properly hold any equipment.

 

“Look at me. Breathe. You need to breathe. We’re all fine.”

 

“Bu-but he wasn’t. I thought-”

 

“He’s far from fine but that’s not your fault. You want to blame someone? Blame Jack.”

 

Athena looked towards Rhys for a moment and then left the room. Gaige stared at Rhys and expected his chest to stop moving, but saw little twitches here and there. Slightly blaming herself and wanting to always have an eye on Rhys, Gaige set up a heart monitor and hooked it up to Rhys. She continued setting up the rest of the equipment while the others waited for updates.

 

 

 

 

His wrists felt numb for a moment but then he panicked and opened his eyes to bright lights. A groan escaped his throat with little effort and caused a small chuckle from his left side. He tried to move his head to check where the source was coming from but couldn’t pick it out. A face came into view and Gaige smiled down to him,

 

“So, which one of you am I talking to?”

 

A smirked plastered onto his face and Gaige got the message,

 

“Was hoping for the nice one but should’ve expected you, Jackass.”

 

“Good to see you too, childkiller.”

 

“Weird. Thought you only called Lilith that.”

 

Jack chuckled and looked around the room as his vision focused on everything,

 

“You all played your part and I’m gonna’ make sure you all die. Slowly. Just like my baby.”

 

Gaige nodded but barely heard what he said,

 

“And until that moment, we’re dealing with this.”

 

Gaige held up what looked like Nakayama’s drive. Rhys woke up within his mind and saw the drive. His heart raced but Jack was confused,

 

“And what’s an empty drive gonna’ do?”

 

Gaige shrugged, “Guess we’ll see.”

 

She stood by Rhys and held the drive inches from the port,

 

“Sorry in advanced, Rhys.”

 

She plunged it in and immediately gained a scream from Rhys. The drive itself tried to download something but began to heat up, glow and fry, completely shutting down. Gaige bit her lip and carefully pulled out the dead and burnt drive,

 

“Guess that’s….a first.”

 

Jack chuckled and flicked his tongue,

 

“A poor little drive may have held me, but it will NEVER contain me. What you tried to pull was dumb. You’re an idiot. Too easy to hacking equaling a nice dead drive. Jack, one. Assholes, zero.”

 

Gaige put her hands on her waist and tapped her foot,

 

“Guess the hard way it is.”

 

Gaige pulled over her desk and set it by the chair. She moved the chair so it rested close to her desk and stayed flat like a bed. Jack shifted around,

 

“What’s the hard way?”

 

Rhys pushed his walls and broke through briefly,

 

“Gaige, please. Hot.”

 

She looked up and immediately saw a different light to Rhys’ face, knowing it was Rhys talking. She stood and looked around, trying to find something to help. She ran out of the room for a moment and came back with a pack of ice. She placed it carefully by his port and gained a wince from Rhys but the ice took affect and his features calmed. Gaige continued to work away as she pulled another port cable, similar to the one Jack had installed in his office. Rhys felt Jack pushing his walls further and had to force himself to grind his teeth.

 

“Come on, Rhysie. Give me five more minutes with this bi-”

 

“Jack shhh. Please.”

 

Gaige looked up momentarily and continued typing away. Finally, she pulled the cable over and stared down at Rhys.

 

“Still there?”

 

Rhys could barely keep his eyes open. He nodded, “Barely.”

 

“Okay. So, I need to make sure I’m getting facts straight. Jack. He downloaded himself into Helios right? Like, directly into the systems?”

 

Rhys nodded and felt Jack buzzing around in his mind, _What’s she up to?_

Gaige bit her lip and flicked on a few switches, activating the port and the monitors around her. She stood by Rhys, rubbed his port down and whispered,

 

“Now, when Jack was in the drive, he was all data, which he will inevitably always will be. So here’s where we stand. Jack will leave his data in every movement we make which will help us- or me – extract Jack. Sound good?”

 

Jack banged against Rhys’ walls but he grinded his teeth and clenched every muscle in his body. Rhys was feeling his vision go weak,

 

“Gaige, whatever it is you’re thinking of doing, just do it. Please.”

 

She smirked and began twirling around as she prepared the drive.

 

“So, he downloaded himself into Helios and the computers right?”

 

“Yes but Gaige-”

 

“I’m going to replicate that. Let Jack do exactly that with mine. I’ll let him download himself, float around and do whatever he wants. Up to you Jack if you take it as a trap or not. Regardless, you and I both know as soon as I plug this port in, I can download information from Rhys’ hardware and easily find a way to pull you out. So let’s jump right to it.”

 

Gaige pulled the cable, hit a few more keys on her computer and stood by Rhys. Tears filled his eyes as his panic set in,

 

“Gaige-”

 

“Sorry Rhys but…I’m just trying to help. Warning. This part is gonna’ hurt a bit.”

 

Rhys laughed, giving up on pain at this point,

 

“Hurt a bit? That’s a lie isn’t it?”

 

Gaige sighed and rubbed her eyes, “Okay, it’s gonna’ hurt a lot. Might not happen right away but it’ll happen. You’ll know. And Rhys? Just… hold on. And I’m sorry. I wish there was another way.”

 

Rhys sighed and braced himself. Jack was completely lost for words and waited to see what Gaige had planned. There was a small bit of pressure as Gaige plugged Rhys into the computer. At first, Rhys felt the usual little hiss that came from being plugged in, but nothing severe. Gaige ran to her computer and began typing, gathering information.

 

That’s when Rhys felt it. His entire body went on fire. He grabbed the restraints and tried to pull against them but even his mechanical arm wasn’t getting through them. His body convulsed and his jaw was clamped so hard, his gums began to bleed. Gaige began rambling nervously out loud,

 

“He took the bait! I got you, you dick! Every move you make, I get data back. OHHH clever. Didn’t think I would anticipate you trying to download a virus? That’s the thing Jack, I’m one step ahead and way more clever than you at viruses and code.”

 

Rhys was panting but the pain was only gone for a moment. That’s when Jack wiggled his way in,

 

“Remember that time your dad basically sacrificed himself for you so you could escape cold blooded murder? You murdered that girl, Marcy? Macy? Whatever.”

 

Gaige looked up for a moment but refused to let Jack into her head. She continued typing and sent a jolt into Rhys, only making Jack laugh.

 

“OOOhh. See, this is where things get fun. You killed that girl. You killed thousands to get to those vaults and now, you’re gonna kill Rhys. Should feel proud of yourself. I know your father wouldn’t be.”

 

“You don’t know anything about my dad.”

 

He smirked, “Sure about that?”

 

Gaige hit enter and held her anger back. She wanted to shoot him, kill him and end every last word he had to say, but she couldn’t. She wouldn’t give him that pleasure. Jack took one final breath and let Rhys back. Rhys was panting, and was only at peace for a moment. Everything came crashing down; electricity and fire came back and ten times worse. His mind felt like it was melting and all of a sudden, Rhys’ vision went black. He was still very awake but everything else was,

 

“Gone. Gaige. I-I can’t see. GAIGE?!”

 

Panic filled Rhys but Gaige’s typing only became more paced and furious with every key. That’s when Rhys could swear he smelt copper. It struck him again and this time, it only grew and it felt like his mind was going to explode. He was screaming at the top of his lungs as he tried his best to break out but nothing he did worked. Gaige paused a moment and gasped,

 

“OH GOD. Oh no. Oh… oh shit.”

 

Rhys port was dripping blood and he was convulsing. Gaige’s mind was racing but everything she did, Jack replaced and made worse. He was faster then her because he _was,_ in a sense, all code. That’s when Rhys’ pants became a shaking breath,

 

“See? You assholes all think you have a plan when in reality; you’re all just dumbasses. I’m the one who’s in control, Gaige, and if you don’t stop this shit, I’ll crank the pain up until Rhys either dies or your systems explode.”

 

Gaige froze as Rhys’ screaming came back but immediately halted as Rhys breath got caught and he began struggling.

 

“G-aige. I-can’t-breath!”

 

“JACK, STOP THIS.”

 

He laughed through Rhys’ struggles and let him breathe again as he spoke,

 

“Nah. Rhys is a dead man. You all are. You either stop this now, or…no you stop this now. You don’t get a choice you murdering sonofabitch. You’re all gonna’ die. I promise.”

 

Gaige barely hesitated as she began breathing heavily, sweat pouring down her face as she pulled the plug and shut down her systems. Rhys’ body went ridged and froze. A laugh popped out of Rhys mouth as Gaige covered hers to hide a pained cry,

 

“Haa. I always win. Maybe I won’t kill you. Pfft, Who am I kidding?!”

 

Gaige ran out of the room crying and never turned back. Rhys popped back in, regaining his vision bits at a time as he tried to regain his breathing, feeling himself shaking and unable to get himself back in control,

 

“J-jack please. S-stop.”

 

“Nah, Rhy-sie. Ahhh-stop with t-the panicking m-man. I-it’s gettin’ ol-old.”

 

“I-i-ca-n’t help. Pl-ease. Le-leave me al-alone.”

 

“You-first buddy.”

 

Athena cut the chat short and entered the room. She sighed at the sight of Rhys and looked him over.

 

“Jack, I’m gonna’ need a moment with Rhys.”

 

Jack smirked and rolled his eyes,

 

“He’s not in right now. Leave a message after the beep.”

 

Athena sighed and crossed her arms,

 

“No wonder why I left you.”

 

Jack raised his eyebrow,

 

“Yeah, you know, I’m curious. Why did you leave? I honestly thought you’d be a damn good addition. You are the best vault hunter around.”

 

“After Elpis, you were not the same. You never were.”

 

“Ah, come on. You know what’s funny? I was hoping to watch you die. I heard the fire-bitch tried to ruin the fun and do it for me but nooo. What happened there? A little vault get in the way?”

 

“It’s complicated.”

 

Athena shut Jack off by punching the port. Rhys’ shaking breathing returned as he rushed out what he could,

 

“A-athena. P-please. I don’t-I can’t do this. Just-shoot me. Something! I don’t have-m-much time.”

 

“Rhys, you need to breathe. Calm down.”

 

“I-I c-can’t.”

 

Just before Jack returned again, Athena flicked the port, causing Rhys to clench his jaw. This time, he had clearer thoughts,

 

“I can’t do this anymore. You need to understand I am screwed-”

 

“No you aren’t Rhys. Just… LET ME TALK FOR A MINUTE.”

 

Athena’s voice echoed within the room and caused Rhys to keep his mouth tightly clasped. She sighed, rubbed her head and avoided Rhys’ eyes,

 

“We’ve decided we can’t just have Gaige on you. That was dumb and now she’s terrified. But we also have all hands on deck for the vault. As a group, we’ve come to the conclusion we are going to focus solely on that before we can focus all of our brainpower onto you.”

 

Jack laughed through Rhys, “OOohhh. Those vaults are pesky little things aren’t they? I once thought the Warrior was a God but I was a little misinformed. Sometimes vaults are guarded. The Warrior was it’s own vault. It was it’s own treasure. I got to control a being that was basically a God. You’re vault only exists within the time it’s open. Some nuts time shit. Who knows what that vault contains and who knows what that monster can do to you all. It already killed one of you. I know it’ll kill more.”

 

Athena closed her eyes and practically ignored everything Jack said and talked over him,

 

“We’ll need both Gaige and Axton on this. It was childish and stupid for us to split them up in the first place.”

 

Jack smirked, but tears poured down his face, “Well no shit. That bitch couldn’-”

 

Athena slapped Rhys and gained a yelp. She sighed and waited for the colours in Rhys’ face to change. He struggled against the restraints again,

 

“Athena. No. Please. Please tell me you aren’t suggesting what I think you are.”

 

She sighed and stared at him, getting closer to his face,

 

“While we retrieve Gortys and the vault, we can’t have you out of this room. We’ll be here to monitor you, feed you, get you what you need but you have to stay restrained. We would get you a bed but we know damn well those rails won’t hold you. This is the best we got and we can’t have Jack loose. I’m sorry Rhys but this decision is final. We’re doing the vault and when we get back, I promise you we’ll find a way to stop Jack.”

 

Rhys panic flared up and he felt, no, he _was_ being betrayed,

 

“No. No please you can’t leave me here.”

 

“I’m sorry. We don’t have the time or money to wait for the vault any longer.”

 

Rhys heart shattered, “So I’m not worth it, is what you’re telling me?”

 

_That’s exactly what she’s telling you._

“We’ve got people we have HIRED that are getting restless and won’t wait any longer. It’s now or never to get Gortys going.”

 

_You’re not worth any of their time Rhys. You’re worthless to them. You mean nothing._

“Athena-”

 

“I’m sorry Rhys.”

 

_They. Do. Not. Care. About. You._

“Rhys, this needs to be done.”

 

“Athena-”

 

_They never have._

 

“I promise you we will be as fast as we can.”

 

_You’re dead to them Rhys. And as soon as they open that vault, they’ll let you rot here._

“ATHENA!”

 

She stopped and watched as Rhys breathed heavily. His mind was racing, Jack was trying to push through but he squeezed his hands and clenched his teeth. All he needed was to focus. One person came to mind and that was all he wanted in that moment,

 

“Sasha. I just-I need to talk to Sasha. Please.”

 

Athena nodded, stood and left Rhys alone. He cried to himself but Jack broke through in conversation,

 

“Crying? Again? Jesus buddy. Really not getting the handle on life, eh?”

 

“Shut up.”

 

“Nah come on! It’ll be me and you till the end. Just watch.”

 

“I’d rather die.”

 

“Well, get to it buddy.”

 

“I-I want to.”

 

“Ahh but you’re too tired, right? Come on Rhysie, just take a nap. Rest. You need it.”

 

His eyes immediately grew heavy but Rhys bit his lip and woke up his systems,

 

“No.”

 

“Come on! Why not buddy?! I know you need it?”

 

His eyes dropped again but he stopped them, “Stop it. I’m-I don’t trust you for shit Jack.”

 

“You look like shit.”

 

Rhys turned his attention to the door and found the one person he needed.

 

“Sasha.”

 

She frowned and took in the sight of him. His skin was paler than normal, his port continued to lightly bleed, his legs and wrists were red and would clearly begin to bruise and his eyes were bloodshot. Carefully, Sasha walked over and pulled out a cloth, wiping Rhys’ port, gaining a wince. She sighed,

 

“They never told me they’d be hurting you.”

 

Rhys coughed, “Yeah well, when it comes to Jack, it’s kind of expected.”

 

“Rhys, I’m sorry.”

 

“Please. Don’t bother. Just being kept to the side while all of you rescue a friend...that is a robot! OH YOU KNOW, NOTHING WRONG HERE.”

 

Rhys was upset and it only made Sasha fell worse.

 

“Rhys, we are trying okay?”

 

“Yeah. Trying. Sure. Going after a vault while I sit here to rot, is trying.”

 

Sasha sighed and paced around Rhys,

 

“I didn’t agree with the others okay? I know that doesn’t help matters but I didn’t agree. Majority believed we’d be better off figuring out and getting the vault out of the way before, you know, screwing around with your head. Chances are, Jack has a plan, probably, and will kill all of us trying. Say he gets a hold of this vault. That was his plan to begin with, was it not?”

 

Rhys had nothing to say back because Jack was forcing him to keep his mouth shut. But she was right. And by the silence she got her answer. Jack’s plan backfired as it always had.

 

_Fuck you, Rhys._

 

“Is he hurting you? Can he even hurt you?”

 

Rhys stared at Sasha and felt his heart beat picking up,

 

“It hurts holding him back.”

 

Sasha leaned by Rhys and rubbed his arm,

 

“Then stop holding him back.”

 

Rhys panicked and shook his head,

 

“N-no. What-What if he tries hurting you?”

 

Sasha laughed and sighed, “This is why the others are keeping you here. They’re worried you’ll lose control like you did with LB. Remember? Shot him point blank with a shotgun. What if that were Vaughn? Or Fiona? Or even me?”

 

Rhys felt Jack push again but closed his eyes and shook him off,

 

“If Jack ever tried, I’d end him where he-where I stand.”

 

Sasha sighed, sat on the bed and began running her hand gently through Rhys’ hair which calmed him slightly but only allowed the monster within to slip through, but Jack continued to stay still. Sasha continued as she spoke her mind,

 

“All I’m saying is that what if you don’t have control like last time? That’s what the others are worried about. We can’t always keep watch on you and simply cuffing you won’t do us any good. I may not agree with the others in choosing the vault over you, but I agree with the idea of keeping you here until Jack’s gone.”

 

“I’m never leaving.”

 

Sasha froze and removed her hand, staring at his eyes,

 

“And why’s that?”

 

He begun chuckling and licking his dry lips,

 

“As long as Rhys eats, breathes and lives, I’ll be here. That’s a promise. And I never, EVER, break my promises.”

 

Sasha punched Rhys hard in the face, causing some disorientation, but Rhys was able to break through. Within that moment, Rhys lifted his head and tugged against the restrains,

 

“Sasha, please.”

 

“What do you want me to do? I- I can’t let you go. I want to but… I’m sorry.”

 

Sasha began crying, which made Rhys want to end Jack. End everything.

 

“Please, Sasha. I wish it never came to this. I wish I never existed.”

 

She turned and screamed at him, “Shut up. Don’t ever say that.”

 

She grabbed his cheek and planted a desperate kiss onto Rhys. He tried to push more into it but the restrains kept him at bay. Sasha had all the control and for once, Rhys was happy someone other than Jack had control over him. She pulled back and smiled at Rhys. The hairs on his neck stood up but Jack was nowhere to be found. With that moment alone, Rhys pushed out all of his thoughts at once,

 

“Sasha, tell me you aren’t helping with the vault.”

 

She snorted, “Pfft, of course I am. Why woul-”

 

“You-no. I-what if something bad happens? What if you die? Sasha please. If I’m gonna’ be kept locked up here not having a damn clue what’s going on out there, the least you could do is stay, and not go, just so I know you’re safe and not dead. Just-do this for me. Pl-please!”

 

Sasha stared at him and her smile turned into an immediate look of confusion,

 

“You’re being serious?”

 

Rhys felt rage boil under his skin, “OF COURSE I’M BEING SERIOUS, I lo-”

 

Rhys stopped but forced it out, “I love you. Okay. I’m terrified of losing you. Again. Just, please. Keep me company.”

 

Sasha stood and began backing away from Rhys. His heart dropped,

 

“Sasha?”

 

“How do I know…that what you just said was Rhys, and not Jack?”

 

Rhys laughed out of anger, “Are you kidding? IT’S ALL ME SASHA. Please.”

 

She shook her head, “Anything to hold me back from the original plan. Is that it, Jack?”

 

Jack chuckled in Rhys’ head and didn’t even bother trying to break through, _Guess you’re doin’ all the work for me buddy._

“Sasha please. I’m begging you, hear me out.”

 

“I am. But…I can’t tell. Jack’s a good liar.”

 

“For the love… PLEASE SASH-.”

 

She punched Rhys again, causing him to clench his jaw as his port sparked. Sasha looked at Rhys and waited,

 

“It’s still me. And I meant what I said.”

 

Sasha frowned and bit her lip, “Sorry. Had to be completely sure.”

 

Rhys felt exhausted at this point and avoided Sasha’s eyes,

 

“Just go.”

 

“I thought you just said you wanted me to stay.”

 

“Well, clearly you’ve already made up your mind.”

 

Rhys' voice rose but he held on. Everything in his system was shaking at this point and what he said was putting Sasha off,

 

“You know I can’t stay, regardless of what you say Rhys.”

 

“Well, doesn’t mean I can’t try.”

 

Sasha paused for a moment and took a step closer. She quickly planted another kiss on his lips but pulled back as the door opened. Fiona entered and realized what was happening,

 

“Gross. Listen, we gotta’ head out. Think we found the last pieces.”

 

Sasha didn’t move and neither did Rhys. Fiona rolled her eyes and walked back out,

 

“Five more minutes.”

 

Sasha smirked and held her lips against Rhys. He pushed as close and deeply as he could, memorizing the sweet taste on her lips and every movement she made. He slipped in his tongue lightly. But the moment was over all too soon and Sasha pulled back. She smiled and ran her hand through his hair one last time before walking out. Rhys memorized every detail of Sasha as she walked off, worried that would be the last time he saw her. He spoke in a whisper, even as the door closed and left him alone,

 

“See you soon.”

 

Jack finally broke and began laughing through Rhys,

 

“OOOHH MAN. Kay. First off, nice moves. Gotta’ admit that was kinda hot. BUT MAN. See you soon? Are you kidding me? HAAA. OH RHYSIE. You get me goin’.”

 

Rhys’ heart dropped but he turned over and stared into the bright ceiling. Jack popped in again and wiggled his body around,

 

“Man, really no getting out of this chair. Arms? Nah. Got a bit of hand and wrist movement though. That might be our way out.”

 

“Jack please, just shh.”

 

“Come on man. Times a wastin’.

 

Jack continued to use Rhys to wiggle around and shift the bed around, shaking the bed around him. Within seconds, exhaustion hit Rhys and he began sitting in a bad part of his mind,

 

“What’s the point, Jack? Come on. Just give in. We both know this isn’t going to end well for either of us. Let’s just… rest a little while.”

 

“No rest for the wicked kiddo. You can sleep. I’ll just, you know. Wear yeah around.”

 

“Please just shut up.”

 

“Please just die. Guess we both can’t have what we want. Except, you know. You’ll die. And I’ll never shut up.”

 

Rhys rolled his eyes and finally allowed himself to give into the exhaustion. As his being fell asleep, Jack continued to examine everything and devised a next to impossible, possible plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HMMMMM
> 
> I'm sorry. hahaha How many times have I apologized for my writing? Because it's terrible. And poor Rhys.
> 
> But yeah. This story is almost over. The second one I started writing is underway.
> 
> Crazy times. It's a weird feeling knowing this is it and that it's coming to a close.
> 
> I hope you enjoy the ending as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> I will warn you, it's gonna be brutal and long.


	28. The Calm Before The Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group has made their final preparations and are ready to open the Vault. Once again, Rhys struggles between doing nothing and going against his word. Again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter. And, this is in fact the second to last.
> 
> It's almost over.
> 
> Holy Shit.

The sound of the door sliding open alerted Rhys. His head shifted to his right and found someone headed in his direction. It took a second for his eyes to adjust and take in the sight,

 

“Sasha?”

 

She smirked down and presented Rhys with a plate of breakfast. Pancakes, bacon, eggs and a bit of toast. Rhys smiled and wiggled around,

 

“If this is your form of torture, you win.”

 

Sasha chuckled and put the plate down on a medical table. She adjusted the bed so Rhys was standing up. She began cutting the breakfast up for Rhys and held it close by him. He sighed at the sight,

 

“Can’t even let me eat on my own?”

 

Sasha frowned, “It’s not safe.”

 

“Of course.”

 

She collected a few pieces and brought them towards Rhys’ mouth,

 

“Open up.”

 

He looked away and followed directions. They didn’t talk nor did they look at each other. Rhys was embarrassed and sick of the situation they forced on him and Sasha couldn’t handle seeing Rhys look so helpless. She wished she could hold him and enjoy a nice breakfast at the dinner table but she knew that wasn’t going to be happening anytime soon. Jack buzzed in and smirked, biting down on the fork and preventing Sasha from pulling it back. She realized and sighed,

 

“What?”

 

He let go, causing the fork to drop to the floor. As Sasha collected the fork, Jack attempted to grab at her, but failed. He let Rhys back in and hid within his head, plotting his next move. Rhys ignored the actions and forced himself to talk,

 

“How are things?”

 

The voice made Sasha pause before she looked up to Rhys,

 

“Uh, things have been okay. Moving a lot faster then any of us anticipated.”

 

Rhys nodded, “I guess that’s good. The sooner things get going the sooner I get better, right?”

 

Sasha finally smiled, sending chills through Rhys,

 

“Yeah. That’s actually why I’m here.”

 

She put the rest of the food down and crossed her arms. Rhys waited patiently and let Sasha go at her own time,

 

“We’re leaving soon. And by soon I mean within the next hour, Gortys is going to be activated and the vault is going to open.”

 

The mention of the vault brought Jack back but Rhys held on,

 

“That’s… crazy.”

 

Sasha sighed, “I know. I don’t know why but I’m nervous.”

 

Rhys huffed, “Should be. That thing is nothing but a ticket to killing yourselves.”

 

Sasha rolled her eyes, “Yeah well. It’s all we got right now. And believe it or not, that’s my future on the line.”

 

Rhys bit his lip, “Still, it’s suicide.”

 

“It’s not when we have a plan.”

 

“Nothing ever goes to plan. After all we’ve been through, you should know that.”

 

“This time is different, Rhys. Believe it or not, it’s happening. And I made my choice!”

 

The room went silent and all Rhys wanted to do was grab Sasha and keep her there. Jack chuckled and finally got his words out,

 

“I hope you die with it.”

 

Sasha looked up and saw the grim look on Rhys’ face.

 

“Asshole.”

 

Jack left Rhys alone again and caused Rhys to stumble his words,

 

“That was Jack, I swear. I’m sorry.”

 

Sasha sighed and rubbed her eyes,

 

“At least we’re all being realistic, right? Who knows?”

 

Sasha smiled up to Rhys and stepped closer, causing Rhys to grow hot,

 

“Sasha, please.”

 

“I told you Rhys. For now, this is goodbye.”

 

Rhys shook, “No. Not goodbye.”

 

Sasha shut Rhys up and pushed a rough kiss onto his lips. He fell into it but broke it apart,

 

“It’s -I’ll see you later.”

 

She smiled and stayed at Rhys’ mouth. They began to melt into each other. Rhys’ body ached to touch Sasha’s and she was tempted to break apart the restrains but they both knew it wasn’t meant to happen. Not yet. Sasha broke the kiss and wiped her eyes. She stormed off and out of the doors so Rhys couldn’t say anything else. In that moment, Rhys felt utterly scared and lost. Waiting was going to kill him.

 

 

Once the hour struck, the ground around everyone began to shake. Rhys could hear the worried screams and yells from the others on Helios as more quakes shook the building. Dust fell from the roof above Rhys, causing him to briefly panic.

 

_The roofs gonna’ collapse. Shit. FUCK._

Rhys shifted against the restrains and began to shout,

 

“HELLO?! Fuck.”

 

Jack chuckled as the building calmed and everything returned to normal,

 

“Guess your friends are having a great time.”

 

In the distance, Rhys heard the loading of the moonshot, and before he knew it, the vibration of it charging and being fired went and was gone. Rhys heart skipped a beat as it scared him into assumption.

 

_The vault. Oh shit, what if they were wrong? What if they all die?!_

Jack chuckled through Rhys, “If they aren’t careful, they will.”

 

Rhys pushed against the restrains and wanted nothing more then to be updated and to know what was happening. The shakes from the vault continued, gaining speed and power per minute. Rhys heart was pounding so much, he swore he saw it pop through his chest. Jack sighed,

 

“You know, I could always-”

 

“Don’t you dare.”

 

Jack laughed and brought Rhys’ head back,

 

“All I’m saying is I can get us out of here. No tricks. Just you and me. Home free.”

 

Rhys rolled his eyes, “Yeah sure. No tricks? Bullshit.”

 

Jack shrugged, “Your loss. Sit here while all your friends die trying.”

 

Rhys wanted to ignore Jack and to let things happen but the more he stood there, doing nothing, the more he couldn’t help but picture his friends dying. The vault was opened and that monster would do anything to keep them away from it. Rhys closed his eyes and could only see the faces of his friends.

 

“You know how you memorized Sasha’s features? Hope you did that with the rest. After the vaults done with them, they won’t be recognizable.”

 

“Shut up.”

 

“Come on, Rhys! Are you just gonna’ let them die?”

 

“N-No. But I can’t let you out.”

 

Jack snorted, “Okay. Yeah. We both know that’s not happening. Now, you can either let me help you escape, nice and easy. Or, we get stuck here for the next hundred days, dying of hunger or some shit because everyone else you know is dead.”

 

The trembling of the building increased and the distant sound of roaring hit Rhys’ ears, making Rhys fear Jack may be right. As much as he wanted to ignore the man, Jack had a point. At that point, Rhys had only tried to buy some more time,

 

“What’s stopping you?”

 

Jack flickered in front of Rhys. The holographic blue was paler this time around,

 

“What’s stopping me from what?”

 

“From, I don’t know, ending it all? Erasing me? I mean, you took full control of me and it’s like pulling teeth trying to stop you from doing it again. So what gives? Why can’t you just push me aside and get this shit over with?”

 

Jack smirked and avoided Rhys’ eyes,

 

“Your smart, Rhysie. Always have been.”

 

“Just give me that Jack. Why haven’t you?”

 

Jack looked up and stared at Rhys as if he were prey,

 

“Trust me. I want you out of here as much as you want me gone. But I can’t. You are your own mind and it’s still your meatsuit. Your instincts, damages, and weird freak outs. All there. Because it’s your mind. I needed a hell of a lot of power to shut your own mind out for a while and that only delayed you the last time. Yeah, I had control but not fully. No. I couldn’t get rid of you.”

 

“Then why play with me Jack? Why not just kill me?”

 

Jack laughed, “I’d be killing us both. And I certainly don’t wanna die. Plus, it’s fun torturing yeah. Even when I’m not alive, I’m still causing pain. Look at Gortys. She turned out all right.”

 

 

In a moment, Rhys was brought back. His friends could be in serious danger and all they would need is Rhys’ helping hand. Rhys sighed, closed his eyes and immediately regretted the words as they hit his lips,

 

“Then do it, Jack. Get us out of here. And stop this.”

 

Jack smirked, getting eye to eye with Rhys, inches away from his face. He looked down at Rhys’ lips, biting his own and placing his hand inches from his port,

 

“With pleasure.”

 

Rhys felt a sharp spark run through his nerves. Within seconds, his vision was gone and everything felt lighter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moments later, screams seeped through the lab. The camera captured Rhys as he shook uncontrollably against his restrains and began foaming at the mouth. Vaughn was waiting for his next signal from Fiona and Sasha and couldn’t leave. The moonshot was ready to go and if he missed that signal, everything they worked for was wasted. That’s when he saw the footage from the security camera’s.

 

“Shit.”

 

He grabbed on his ECHO’s and called to one of his men,

 

“Madison, I need you to go check on Rhys. Immediately. I can’t leave my station.”

 

Hearing Rhys’ name made Madison light up. He nodded and started running towards the lab. As he approached, he heard the struggle and screams and felt his heart drop. As he entered, he began panicking,

 

“Uh, sir-Rhys. What’s wrong?”

 

Rhys continued to scream as he fought against the restrains. Madison scrambled and looked for a way to calm Rhys, checking his pupils and examining his pulse and skin. As he began examining his sides, Jack grabbed the man’s arm and swiftly brought it up, breaking Madison’s wrist, causing the man to fall to his knees. Jack held him close and felt Madison struggle against him,

 

“Now. Get us out of here or I’ll pull your arm off.”

 

Madison was a low tolerance and immediately agreed to help. He stood, cradled his arm and walked over to the computers. With a quick examination and a few switches, the restrains came popping up and Jack was free. He took a shaking breath and carefully stepped down, almost falling to the ground as his body regained feeling.

 

“MY GOD it feels good to stand. Not so bad. HA.”

 

Jack limped towards the man and pulled him close,

 

“Thanks uh… dude. Now, I hate to do this but uh, no witnesses.”

 

Jack jumped on Madison, wrapped his arm around Madison’s neck and began strangling him. Rhys panicked and tried to free the man, but the adrenaline running through his body was keeping Jack in control. Madison tried to scratch his face and kicked against Rhys’ body but he quickly grew weak and went limp in Rhys’ arms. As Jack dropped his body, Rhys felt sick and knocked himself back into his mind. He almost puked as he stared down at the clearly dead worker. He checked the man’s pulse but found nothing.

 

“Shit. Jack, I said no one dies.”

 

Jack chuckled, “Ops.”

 

Rhys held his stomach and began running towards the exit. They didn’t have time and he knew that. With everything Rhys did, he had no plan and was running around the halls, trying not to get caught. Miraculously, Rhys was able to slip through the halls, undetected. Jack turned Rhys around and held him at one of the offices.

 

“One of the cleaners always kept an extra gun lying around. Go on, take it.”

 

Rhys hesitated,

 

“Jack, I said I’m not shooting anyone.”

 

Jack nearly bit into Rhys and took control again. He reached into a locker and broke the door open with his arm. Inside, sat the untouched gun. Jack held it in his hands, examining it and felt the weight of it. Rhys disliked looking at it and was forced back into his mind,

 

“See? Not so bad, Rhys.”

 

Rhys rolled his eyes and quickly tucked it behind his pants. With little to no time left to lose, Jack gave Rhys directions and continued every step of the way, as they found their means of escape. It was an emergency exit, hilariously enough, it used to be an air lock. Safety assured, Rhys pushed the hatch open and found themselves on top of Helios and on a hill. Rhys felt the warm air hit his face as they emerged. Rhys felt another tremble in his step as he looked towards a blinding light.

 

“There. That’s Gortys.”

 

Gortys’ giant form emerged from the dust and was punching what appeared to be the giant vault monster. It kept teleporting and throwing all of them off, making it that much more difficult to defeat it. Jack chuckled and shook his head,

 

“Sure they have a solid plan, pumpkin?”

 

Rhys sighed and sat in place,

 

“Guess we’ll see.”

 

For a moment, Jack burst into laughing. Coughing all the while and couldn’t believe Rhys’ suggestion, even though it wasn’t a suggestion at all. Jack realized that Rhys was being completely serious and double took the scene before them,

 

“For real? We’re just gonna’ sit here and watch. I thought you wanted me to stop all of this? Let’s get down there and blow some shit up!”

 

Jack pulled against Rhys mind and caused him to stand but Rhys bounced in and completely fell to the ground. Rhys groaned and slowly crawled back up,

 

“Jack. This isn’t-our-battle.”

 

Jack smirked and pulled Rhys’ head up to look at Gortys.

 

“Nah Rhys. See, that’s where you’re wrong. I started Gortys. And I sure as hell am gonna’ be the one to end it.”

 

Rhys couldn’t stop Jack as he regained control of his legs and started pulling Rhys along. It felt like dragging cement feet along the ground as Rhys tried to pull and hold Jack back. But his head and heart were pounding, his blood was moving and the adrenaline was keeping him moving. No matter what Rhys tried, something more would have to happen to regain control.

 

“HEY ASSHOLE!”

 

Jack stopped and Rhys breathed out heavily, exhausted from mentally trying to hold Jack back. He felt his feet move with their own mind and found Vaughn, pointing a gun directly at Rhys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS THE END.
> 
> It's happening. AHH. Sorry this chapter was so short. The next one is slightly intense and it's the final CHAPTER of this story.
> 
> It's been a LONG, weird and wonderful ride.
> 
> Thank you to all who have stuck along with this story.
> 
> I'm sorry if quality has dropped but I hope the ending makes up for it...
> 
> or maybe you'll just hate me further :P


	29. How It Must End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhys and Jack face off for a final time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH THE ENDING D:
> 
> I'm sorry....
> 
> This is it.... holy shit.

Rhys felt his hands rise and his feet began to carry him towards Vaughn. Vaughn didn’t flinch or even drop his guard. He held the gun firm but wasn’t happy with the view.

 

“I’m surprised. Really. Did you think it would be that easy to es-”

 

Rhys’ feet began running as Jack ran directly at Vaughn, knocking him down in the process. Vaughn tried to push him up, but Rhys’ weight kept him down as he began bringing his fist back and punching Vaughn.

 

_LET HIM GO JACK. THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HIM._

“Bullshit.”

 

Vaughn freed one of his legs from the weight and delivered a kick to Rhys’ groin, causing him to curl and fall over. Vaughn stood, out of breath and pointed his gun at Jack again. Jack’s laughter echoed within the dusty space,

 

“You’ve got balls, abs. But not ballsy enough.”

 

Jack fought against the sting and began standing again. Rhys’ height caused him to tower over Vaughn but he didn’t flinch and put both of his hands on the gun,

 

“Come on Jack. We don’t have time for this.”

 

Vaughn readied the gun, breathed and hesitated,

 

“Sorry, Rhys. I promised.”

 

Shaking slight, Vaughn avoided Rhys’ eyes, squeezed his eyes closed and held the gun out. Jack reached out but wasn’t fast enough. His gun fired and hit Rhys’ arm, sparking and sending Rhys to the ground. Instinctively, Rhys wrapped his flesh arm around his mechanical one, and felt sparks and broken metal poking around the bullet.

 

“I was NOT expecting to feel that. HA. Woah. Rhysie, I’m sad you never told me you could feel with this thing! OH THE THINGS I’D HAVE YOU DO. Hahaha. Little burst of energy…”

 

Vaughn opened his eyes and was stunned. His bullet was plucked out from Rhys’ arm and Jack held it close and slowly dropped it. Vaughn looked up, paused and immediately panicked,

 

“Shit.”

 

A voice appeared from Vaughn’s echo loud and clear. It appeared to be Fiona.

 

“Vaughn? We’- position. Get th- ready. Over?”

 

Jack smirked, “Just in time.”

 

Vaughn fumbled around and tried to answer.

 

Jack pulled the gun out from his back and aimed it clear at Vaughn.

 

_NOOOOOOOOO!_

Rhys’ port and arm sparked, popped and went limp. He began panting,

 

“Vaughn. S-stop him.”

 

Vaughn carefully approached Rhys and took out a pair of cuffs.

 

“Rhys?”

 

Rhys’ head was hanging low, looking down. He was grinding his teeth trying his best to keep Jack back. Rhys wanted to scream at his friend for trying to kill him but even he couldn’t blame him. Jack had Rhys in his hands and for once, Rhys had to admit he was screwed. Finally, he realized that he _was_ Jack’s. Vaughn poked his head around and tucked his gun away as he pulled the cuffs and carefully placed the first on Rhys’ wrist. As the first wrapped around his wrist, Jack sparked, smirked at Vaughn and knocked Vaughn back by smashing their heads together, breaking Vaughn’s nose. He winced but immediately pulled the gun on Vaughn. Vaughn was on the ground, nose slightly bleeding and he held his hands up, looking towards Jack. The devilish smile was plastered along Rhys’ face and Jack was living in the moment, smiling down at Vaughn, but his eyes were watering and tears streamed down his face. Rhys was panicking and wanted nothing more then to be dead, to stop Jack and for Vaughn to be safe. Vaughn could taste the copper from the blood falling into his mouth. He spit it out and sighed,

 

“Honestly, Jack. Didn’t think you’d be one to risk a chance at your life for the vault and for what?”

 

He smirked and readied the gun,

 

“Nah. I’m not risking it. I’m taking the vault as my own.”

 

“Why?”

 

Jack paused for a moment and his face turned into one of disgust, “Because it’s all I have left.”

 

As his hand tried to pull the trigger, everything froze. He had it pointed directly at Vaughn’s head, arm ready but nothing he did would pull that trigger. Rhys was holding on.

 

_Not him Jack. Anyone but him. P-_

“-lease.”

 

Vaughn cocked his eye up,

 

“Uh, what?”

 

Rhys shook, holding back as hard as he could,

 

“V-Vaughn. I-I’m sorry.”

 

Vaughn huffed, “I’m not surprised. Jack’s good at manipulating you.”

 

Rhys felt his port heat up and screamed, ignoring Jack as he tried to push Rhys off the edge of control.

 

Vaughn stared up at Rhys and had his eyes glancing at the barrel of the gun only inches from his head,

 

“Rhys?”

 

“Run.”

 

“Come on man. Push”

 

“I said run.”

 

Vaughn stood, eyes locked on Rhys, hands up,

 

“Just breathe bro. You got this. We got this.”

 

“I-I’m trying. Ju-just run Vaughn. Bro-please.”

 

Vaughn had his eyes locked on the gun as Rhys held it, shaking.

 

“Just, give me the gun.”

 

Rhys stared, tears running down his face,

 

“I can’t.”

 

Vaughn walked closer and gently put his hand on the gun. He tried to pull, but Rhys’ hands were glued to them. He was paralyzed in that position.

 

“Focus on me, bro.”

 

As if sparked, Rhys felt a cold chill run through his body. First in his legs, then his stomach and into his arms. It felt like a moment of pure bliss, a moment of feeling cool air on hot skin. A moment he felt being dosed with water. He felt it. He did it.

 

 

Within a blink, a breath and a moment, he heard the shot, his eyes went wide as he saw the light and blood drain from his friends face, he heard a body fall and felt his mind go into a panic.

 

Everything blacked out.

 

Sweat and tears poured down his face as his mind started to calm and catch up. He found himself running outside, panting, blood splattered all over his face and clothes. He looked down and realized he was now holding what looked like a knife, etched with a ‘V’ on it and the gun that clearly had no more bullets. He dropped the gun, felt his body pound and dropped to the ground,

 

“NOOOOO.”

 

He grabbed his stomach and felt all the pressure hit. He began puking and tasted a bit of copper on his tongue. Jack chuckled to himself,

 

“A long time ago, I told you I’d kill all those bastards. And I keep my promises.”

 

Rhys couldn’t hold the screams back. He fell on his side and held himself in a ball, not wanting to continue on. His best friend and brother, the only person he truly trusted was gone. And it was entirely his fault. He felt his body move but he held firm.

 

Jack sighed, “Come on Rhys. Not this shit again. Just let me continue so we can get out of here and who knows, maybe grab the vault for our selves! Those bandits of yours are probably dead anyways!”

 

“No. I’m done.”

 

Jack laughed and poked at Rhys port but Rhys fought through it, falling to the ground again. Rhys continued to pant as he looked out and saw the Vault monsters grow dull and collapse to the wasteland. He heard the cheers of victory but his heart dropped knowing the battle was not won.

 

Not yet.

 

He felt something fall to his side and remembered the knife he had in his hand.

 

“Said you could never leave my mind, right Jack?”

 

Jack panicked and saw what Rhys was doing before he had done. He gained full control of his mechanical arm. Rhys pushed himself up with his flesh arm, fought with Jack, grabbed the knife and successfully used it to stab his mechanical arm. From the bullet hole, Rhys was able to stab straight through, and disconnect the control. The arm broke, sparked but continued to function. Jack was still able to push against Rhys. Rhys leaned over, put his mechanical arm under his foot and began pulling. He used all of his weight to break each little attachment and he began cutting his mechanical arm off piece by piece with the knife, listening to the grinding and scratching of the metal on metal. It began coming lose but not without more pain racing through Rhys’ body. His muscles and veins were all connected and Rhys had begun to lose blood. Jack’s screaming shook through Rhys,

 

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU IDIOT?! STOP THIS!”

 

“No, Jack. It’s over - AHHHH.”

 

With a few more tugs, Rhys popped off his arm and fell against the ground, knocking his head hard against it and gaining another yelp from the both of them. He could hear his arm slashing against the ground as it lost all control and eventually died. Rhys felt Jack’s control loosen and was able to sit up. He felt his arm bleeding, but the adrenaline kept him aware of what needed to happen next,

 

“I win, Jack. Shut up.”

 

Rhys held the knife inches from his port before he dug the knife in and pulled it out. His echo flickered and before he knew it, he found a glitchy blue holographic Jack right by him,

 

“Please. RHYS. I’M ON MY KNEES. I’ll stop. I’ll go away. I promise. Hell, I’ll even help you get me out. Rhys. Please! I don’t wanna die!”

 

Rhys dug in and popped out the ECHO part of his eye. His hand was shaking but he knew he couldn’t stop. This was it. If Jack was going to destroy his world, at least he could take him down with him.

 

“Goodbye, Jack.”

 

With one final pull, Rhys had his ECHO fully out and his port was fully disconnected. The vision on his left was abandoned, black and Jackless.

 

 

 

 

But that’s when he heard the small whispers and the small chuckle escape his lips.

 

“No golden ticket for you.”

 

Rhys’ heart dropped as he let go of the ECHO.

 

“…how?”

 

“I’m in you, Rhysie. I always have been. Always will be. I meant it when I said I can’t get rid of you and you can’t get rid of me. I hard wired myself not just to your subsystems. But to your whole goddamn mind. I died once Rhys. And I’m never dying again.”

 

In the moment, everything stopped for Rhys. No matter how hard he tried to ignore or disregard Jack, he was right and he was there to stay. No matter what they did, Jack was there if Rhys was there. Vaughn would still be alive if it weren’t for Rhys. Sasha would’ve always been safe if it weren’t for Rhys. Fiona would never have gone looking for him and gotten herself into trouble if it weren’t for Rhys. People would still be alive if it weren’t for Rhys. If it weren’t for Rhys, Jack would truly be gone. Jack would’ve never returned. If it weren’t for Rhys, none of this would’ve happened.

 

Rhys began to smell his own blood as it dripped out of his empty socket. He had nothing to throw up and only gagged. He was growing weaker and he knew if he didn’t act now, Jack would have his turn.

 

His reflexes clenched around the knife handle and that’s when it sparked in Rhys. Jack tried to recover but nothing that Jack tried would distract or allow him to regain control over Rhys.

 

This was Rhys’ final decision.

 

He slumped on the ground, felt tears strike his face, closed his eyes and hovered the knife tip where his port should have been. He held the knife and hovered it there. Rhys was scared but felt the adrenaline and excitement fill his bones. This would finalize everything. This one action would end it all, and all he had to do was push forward. Rhys closed his eyes, smiled to himself as he counted to three.

 

One.

 

“I’m sorry. For everything.”

 

_Rhys, stop this shit._

Two.

 

He pulled his arm back, and focused his movement,

 

“I’ll see you soon Mom and Dad…bro”

 

_It doesn’t have to end like this. I’m begging you Rhys. STOP!_

 

Three.

 

With one final protesting scream from Jack, Rhys plunged the knife into his skull. The pain was there and gone just as fast as it had struck. Everything went black, a ringing in his ears turned to silence, which was eerily peaceful.

 

Not a single trickle or nerve. Nothing ticked or poked. No voice or thought was left. And no thoughts entered or left his mind ever again.

 

Jack will never hurt anyone again and no one can hurt Rhys.

 

Because.

 

~~Jack~~ Rhys is gone.

  
And this is how it all ended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sigh...
> 
>  
> 
> So. This is how it ends. And that's the end of this fic.
> 
> Holy shit. Only took me like... forever. haha.
> 
>  
> 
> I just wanted to say thank you and I'm sorry for the rushed ending. I've begun a new and hopefully will be able to get those going now that I've wrapped this up.
> 
>  
> 
> Was the ending always like this? No. Am I happy with it? Yes. Do I regret anything? Definitely. Am I evil? Of course.
> 
>  
> 
> But am I proud? I'm not sure yet.
> 
>  
> 
> I honestly hope you've enjoyed this as much as I have. I've enjoyed breaking out my writing again and greasing up the old wheels. Obviously, I still need work in the detail and writing department, but that's what this is all about.
> 
>  
> 
> ANYWAYS, THANK YOU to those who have left comments and have stuck around this long. You kept me writing and made me so excited to get going! 
> 
> THANK YOU FOR READING and... just thank you.
> 
>  
> 
> Have a goodnight and I hope you don't hate me :D

**Author's Note:**

> THANK YOU FOR READING IF YOU DID. I LOVE YOU.
> 
> Also, please don't be too hard on me! As I mentioned, I'm just getting back into writing. Any comments are welcome (even if you disliked it). 
> 
> And yeah :D
> 
> (UPDATE: Just to note, I do these chapters in batches. So for every update, there will be a few chapters that get released at once!)


End file.
